A provocative piece of political artwork has taken aim at Defence Minister Richard Marles, branding him “Australia’s biggest brown-noser” just as he inked a 50-year defence agreement with the United Kingdom.
The installation appeared outside Marles’ electoral office in Geelong, featuring a large sculpted nose smeared with what resembled feces. Chained to a streetlight, the artwork was signed by activist group The New Radicals and explicitly named the minister.
The protest coincided with the announcement of a landmark defence treaty—referred to as “The Geelong Treaty”—which Marles signed in his hometown alongside UK Defence Secretary John Healey. The agreement cements long-term collaboration on the AUKUS submarine program, particularly the SSN-AUKUS model.
Marles called the deal the largest industrial undertaking in Australian history, stating: “AUKUS will create 20,000 jobs. Building submarines under this pact marks the most significant military capability leap for Australia since the navy’s founding in 1913.”
The treaty was unveiled following the AUKMIN defence and foreign affairs talks held in Sydney on Friday. To celebrate the pact, Marles and Healey shared a beer at a Geelong brewery.
The controversial sculpture was seen in central Geelong on Saturday afternoon but had been removed by 5 p.m.
