Police today closed down a TV station after finding that exploitative images of children in vulnerable situations. But a spokesperson for the ABC has claimed that the images of a young 8-year-old, Bindi Irwin, were “used for artistic purposes, or at the very least to fill 30 minutes of airtime on ABC Kids”.

The mother of the girl in question, Terri Irwin, has been charged by police for selling the images of her daughter in a series of exploitative situations. This is not the first time the family has come to
the notice of child protection officers after a younger son was used several years ago as bait for crocodiles.

The arts community has been divided by the controversy. Many rushed to defend Terri Irwin’s decision as a brave artistic comment on the inanity of the TV viewing public. “The government cannot determine when a parent is using their child for crass money-making enterprises and when it is art,” said art critic Robert Nelson. “Next thing you know it’ll be preventing parents from entering their six-year-olds in the Chinese gym team.”

However, not all were in favour of the images. Controversial photographer Bill Henson said he was
shocked to see pictures of a girl that young wearing clothes.

Politicians too were unanimous in their condemnation of Irwin. Prime Minster Rudd said he had consulted widely with his parish priest and his opinion pollster and come to the principled decision that the public did not need to see any more of Bindi Irwin.

Former Industrial Relations Minister Joe Hockey argued there should be restrictions on the public screening of such potentially embarrassing material. “Children must not be filmed doing inane dances and delivering unconvincing scripts,” Hockey argued. “That is, unless they’re appearing on
Australia’s Got Talent.”

Bindi Irwin was not asked for her opinion for this story in case she gave it.