GetUp! pulls ‘cruel and insensitive’ ad

Political lobby group GetUp! has pulled a controversial advertisement mocking Tony Abbott.

In the advertisement an actor playing the former prime minister, who is dressed as a lifesaver, ignores a drowning person.

The sartortical YouTube ad, which takes aim at the former prime minister’s views on climate change, has been criticised by lifesavers and Tony Abbott himself.

Forget me, but @GetUp should apologise to Australia’s 150,000 plus surf lifesavers for mocking what they do. https://t.co/3uvNyT8ZL2

— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) April 23, 2019

Neil Mitchell also slammed the advertisement.

“This ad is crossing a line,” the 3AW Mornings host said.

“It has offended lifesavers. It’s offensive to Abbott himself, but more than that, over the Easter holiday period around Australia seven people drowned.”

Following the backlash, GetUp! announced that the advertisement will be pulled from YouTube.

“We have the greatest respect for lifesavers and apologise for the insensitivity of the timing and subject matter of our planned ad,” the lobby group said in a statement.

“Maybe GetUp! has grown up,” Neil Mitchell said.

‘Chip in $12 to get this new cut-through Abbott ad in local cinemas and online in key climate electorates”. @GetUp uses @TonyAbbottMHR impersonator for knife-edge battle in #Warringah. #auspol #AusVotes2019 pic.twitter.com/Q7tJfLIJRp

— Hayden Johnson (@haydenjohnson94) April 23, 2019

GetUp! says the ad will be replaced with another advertisement featuring Tony Abbott and Peter Dutton laughing as water laps at the door of the Pacific Islands due to rising sea levels.