‘Brown-noser’: Crass statue appears outside Richard Marles electoral office in Geelong

A crass piece of political art has accused Richard Marles of being “Australia’s biggest brown-noser” as the defence minister signed a 50-year treaty alongside his UK counterpart.

The installation, outside Mr Marles electoral office in Geelong, depicted a large nose with an apparent fecal smear.

Affixed to a light post by chain, the work is attributed to The New Radicals and names Mr Marles.

The protest art comes as Mr Marles signed a new five-decade treaty with the United Kingdom to cement the AUKUS submarine pact in his home city.

Dubbed ‘The Geelong Treaty’, the defence minister said the agreement would enable co-operation on the SSN-Aukus submarine.

“In doing this, AUKUS will see 20,000 jobs in Australia. It will see, in building submarines in this country, the biggest industrial endeavour in our nation’s history, bigger even than the Snowy Hydro scheme,” Mr Marles said.

“In military terms, what it will deliver is the biggest leap in Australia’s military capability, really, since the formation of the navy back in 1913.”

The new treaty was announced following the annual AUKMIN talks in Sydney on Friday.

Alongside his counterpart, UK Secretary of State for Defence John Healey, the two men celebrated the treaty with a beer at a Geelong brewery.

Spotted in Geelong’s CBD on Saturday afternoon, the piece has vanished by 5pm.