Deputy prime minister DEFENDS the nation's new 'coronavirus' logo

Michael McCormack has defended the controversial decision to replace Australia’s iconic kangaroo logo with a new heavily stylised image of a gold wattle.

The deputy prime minister said the new logo, which has been compared to a picture of a coronavirus molecule, is ‘beautiful’ and ‘looks pretty good’. 

The newest Australian Made logo, which cost $10million to create, was unveiled on Tuesday night and will be used to market Australia to the rest of the world. 

Australia’s Nation Brand Advisory Council, set up by former PM Malcolm Turnbull, recommended to scrap the iconic kangaroo in a report that was adopted by Trade Minister Simon Birmingham. 

The decision to redesign the iconic logo with the gold blob has shocked and outraged many Australians, with a number of people comparing it to a 3D model of the coronavirus. 

But Mr McCormack disagrees, going as far as calling the new Australian Made logo ‘beautiful’.  

Australia’s Nation Brand Advisory Council felt the kangaroo (pictured, left) only reinforced what foreigners already knew about Australia, anchortext the new logo (pictured right) was chosen to be ‘a blank canvas, to tell a new Australian story’

The decision to dump the iconic kangaroo and replace it with the gold blob has shocked and outraged plenty of Australians, with many comparing it to a 3D model of the coronavirus (pictured)

‘The wattle is to attract attention at international trade shows,’ he told 2gb. 

‘I think it’s a good idea.’

He argued the symbol does not resemble a 3D model of a coronavirus because those are usually red and this design is gold. 

But former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce disagreed, comparing the design to both coronavirus and bird poo.

‘Last year in parliament I was promoting our kangaroo Aust­ralia Made logo that I fought hard to … improve to show what products came from our nation and in what proportion,’ he said in a post on Facebook. 

‘Now I hear of some dippy idea to replace the kangaroo with an interpretive emblem that is a cross between the coronavirus and bird poo on your windscreen at 80km an hour.’ 

The redesign has sparked outrage from many Australians, most of whom were against the new symbol.

Deputy prime Minister Michael McCormack has defended the new Australian Made logo, calling it ‘beautiful’

Australia’s Nation Brand Advisory Council (pictured left to right: Wesley Enoch, Glenn Cooper, Bob East, Austrade CEO Stephanie Fahey, Andrew Forrest, Christine Holgate, Jayne Hrdlicka, Alan Joyce, Edwina McCann and Mike Cannon-Brookes)

The council was chaired by mining magnate Andrew Forrest and included Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce, Vogue editor-in-chief Edwina McCann and billionaire Atlassian co-founder Mike ­Cannon-Brookes.