IT WAS once a small poster on a window of graphic designer Michael Agzarian’s Wagga shop, but now his critical portrayal of Prime Minister Tony Abbott as “hopeless” has been blown up into a billboard and is creating a political stir right across the nation.
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The 4.5 metre tall billboard is in the Sydney suburb of Chippendale and is seen by thousands of people every day.
It shows a caricature of Mr Abbott with the word hopeless underneath and is a play on US President Barak Obama’s 2008 election campaign poster.
Mr Agzarian, who moved to Sydney with his wife late last year, paid for the billboard with $3800 of his own money but contributions are pouring in to fund at least one other billboard and posters around the city.
“I am not surprised by the response, but I am overwhelmed by people putting money into it,” Mr Agzarian said.
“It will enable us to put more posters up.”
Mr Agzarian said the poster was not an attack on Mr Abbott as an individual.
“It’s not about Abbott, it’s about the government and people feeling let down by the government,” he said.
Mr Agzarian said Australians were upset by what they saw as broken promises.
“I think they have left a lot of people behind, people who need help have been left behind,” he said.
Mr Agzarian has founded an online community group www.abbottsolutelynot.com for his campaign.
He said his intention was not to portray Mr Abbott as a person who is hopeless, but a man leading a government that did not inspire hope.
Member for Riverina Michael McCormack said he had seen the poster in Gurwood Street many times when he went to the barber’s shop next to Mr Agzarian’s shop for haircuts.
“While I don’t share his opinion I respect his right to have his say,” Mr McCormack said.
“If he has done it as a publicity stunt for his recently moved graphic design business, well it’s worked.”
Mr McCormack said he and Mr Agzarian had shared many interesting political discussions.
