Ruby Roo and the $255 Million Mirage: Welcome to Australia,

Ruby Roo and the $255 Million Illusion: Welcome to Australia, Where Kangaroos Are Slaughtered Nightly

Tourism Australia has just launched the next chapter of its Come & Say G’day campaign, now backed by a staggering $255 million investment from the Albanese Labor Government. The ads are glossy, the faces are famous, and Ruby Roo—the cartoon kangaroo mascot—is bouncing across screens to sell Australia as “the best place on earth.”

But let’s be brutally honest: Ruby Roo might be the only kangaroo tourists ever see. Because while this campaign parades celebrity ambassadors through pristine landscapes, kangaroos are being systematically slaughtered across the country, night after night.

In Canberra alone, 1,232 kangaroos were culled in the past four weeks, including 438 pouch young bludgeoned to death—babies ripped from their mothers and killed. I wrote to Andrew Barr, ACT Chief Minister, about this. No response. Not even a courtesy reply. Yet here he is, endorsing a campaign that paints Australia as a wildlife haven.

And who’s proudly fronting this campaign? Senator Don Farrell, Minister for Trade and Tourism. He called the campaign “a smash,” claiming it’s “bringing more visitors to our shores, creating more jobs and growing our economy”. What he didn’t mention is that those shores are lined with the bodies of our national icon.

Let’s look at the campaign’s ambassadors:

Robert Irwin USA Wildlife conservationist, son of Steve Irwin—silent on kangaroo culling

Nigella Lawson UKCelebrity chef, no known wildlife advocacy

Yosh Yu ChinaActor, no conservation background

Sara Tendulkar IndiaEntrepreneur/philanthropist, no wildlife focus

Abareru-kun JapanComedian, no conservation role

Robert Irwin is the only one with a conservation background, yet he’s said nothing about the kangaroo massacre happening in his own backyard. His silence is deafening. Is this the kind of wildlife advocacy we’re funding with taxpayer dollars?

A photoshopped image recently circulated online, showing Robert Irwin standing beside a truck loaded with dead kangaroos—mocking the header photo from Australia.com. . While the image is fake, the sentiment behind it is painfully real. He may not be condemning the cull, but he’s certainly not standing up for kangaroos either. One has to wonder: Would Steve Irwin be ashamed? The man who built a legacy on loving and protecting wildlife—would he have stayed silent?

And Don Farrell? He’s the one signing off on this fantasy. While kangaroos are being gunned down in reserves and paddocks, he’s busy celebrating animated mascots and celebrity cameos. This isn’t tourism—it’s propaganda.

And let’s not forget: this isn’t the first time Come & Say G’day has sparked backlash. When the campaign first launched in 2022, critics slammed it as “embarrassing,” “retro,” and “year 5 class work.” Many Australians were outraged by the use of a cartoon kangaroo to promote tourism while real kangaroos were being legally culled as pests.

But did Tourism Australia listen? No. They doubled down. Instead of pulling the campaign, they poured another $130 million into it, bringing the total spend to $255 million. Now we’re watching Chapter Two unfold—with even more famous faces and even less accountability.

The message is clear: public pressure didn’t kill this campaign—government funding revived it. And while Ruby Roo bounces across screens, kangaroos continue to fall under the spotlight’s shadow, shot dead in reserves and paddocks across the country.

And let’s talk about the money. This campaign isn’t just tone-deaf—it’s funded by us. The Albanese Labor Government has poured $255 million of taxpayer money into Come & Say G’day, a cartoon-fueled fantasy that ignores the nightly bloodshed of our national icon.

But it doesn’t stop there. Our taxes also help fund the kangaroo slaughter. Through state-sanctioned culling programs, government departments issue permits, pay contractors, and enforce policies that allow kangaroos to be shot, joeys decapitated, and bodies dumped—all under the guise of “management.” According to Animals Australia, millions of kangaroos are killed every year, often in remote areas where monitoring is nearly impossible. The cruelty is hidden, but the cost is real—and we’re footing the bill.

So we ask: Do we get a say? Were we consulted before our money was used to fund both a cartoon kangaroo and the slaughter of real ones? Where is the public voice in this so-called national strategy?

It’s time to demand transparency. It’s time to demand compassion. And it’s time to stop pretending that Ruby Roo represents anything other than a distraction from the truth.

And if you’re wondering who’s paying for the slaughter? We are. The ACT Government spent $350,000 this year alone to shoot kangaroos in 16 reserves around Canberra. That’s taxpayer money funding bullets, silencers, covert operations, and carcass disposal. And that’s just one year—a five-year contract worth $880,000 is already locked in.

So while Ruby Roo bounces across screens in a $255 million tourism fantasy, real kangaroos are being gunned down with our money. Do we get a say? Or are we just expected to smile for the cameras while the killing continues?

If we truly want to invite the world to “Come & Say G’day,” maybe we should start by stopping the nightly massacre of our national icon.

Until then, Ruby Roo remains a cartoon distraction from a brutal reality.

Take Action: Demand Accountability for Australia’s Wildlife

If this campaign enrages you as much as it should, don’t just scroll past—make your voice heard.

Contact Senator Don Farrell Minister for Trade and Tourism Email: senator.farrell@aph.gov.au Phone: (08) 8231 8400 Ask him why $255 million is being spent on cartoon mascots while kangaroos are being slaughtered nightly. Demand transparency. Demand ethics in tourism.

Contact Andrew Barr Chief Minister of the ACT Email: barr@act.gov.au Phone: (02) 6205 0011 Tell him the silence on the kangaroo cull is unacceptable. Ask why your concerns go unanswered while he publicly endorses a campaign built on wildlife hypocrisy.

Share this post. Talk about it. Challenge the narrative. Australia’s wildlife deserves more than marketing spin. Let’s make sure the world sees the truth behind the tourism gloss.