Maybe I'm having a seniors' moment, or I'm developing
early onset dementia, but I've tried to work out what this
cartoon from today's AGE newspaper illustrates, but with
no success.

It appears to be a schoolgirl swinging a (man, woman, teacher, imam, cleric, politician) around her head in circles:

https://i.postimg.cc/BZFJg4zN/Screenshot-2022-10-10-at-00-11-28-The-need-for-checks-and-balances-on-tenants.png

Any help, or cheap 2nd hand walking frames appreciated.       ;D

Seriously though, if a cartoon isn't immediately obvious with
regard to its message, then IMO it's failed in its purpose.

—What say you guys?

At a guess I'd say it is supposed to reflect something of the current rebellion by women in Iran about head dress.  Even so I can't see what it is saying... if anything....

Iranian actress Behnoush Tabatabai, who recently appeared in an Iranian theatrical adaptation of musical film "Mary Poppins", has in an Instagram post called on her American counterpart in the movie, Julie Andrews, to come to Iran to watch the play.

chimera wrote on Oct 10^th, 2022 at 5:29am:

Iranian actress Behnoush Tabatabai, who recently appeared in an Iranian theatrical adaptation of musical film "Mary Poppins", has in an Instagram post called on her American counterpart in the movie, Julie Andrews, to come to Iran to watch the play.

Why would anyone in their right minds go to Iran & risk being detained?

Let alone an 87 yr old Julie Andrews.

Iran is in a time warp of 654AD. Andrews played the role in a feature film called “Mary Poppins” 55 years ago (or 58) and was invited to Iran 2 Nov 2019. The cartoon is dated 6 months in the future.

Apparently Badiucao’s cartoon depicting a girl kite flying the Ayatollah
"is a transcendent work of art, and encapsulates the cultural and
demographic challenge engulfing Iran".

Coulda fooled me.  Well... uh... it did LOL.

    

Gnads wrote on Oct 10^th, 2022 at 8:10am:

chimera wrote on Oct 10th, 2022 at 5:29am: Iranian actress Behnoush Tabatabai, who recently appeared in an Iranian theatrical adaptation of musical film "Mary Poppins", has in an Instagram post called on her American counterpart in the movie, Julie Andrews, to come to Iran to watch the play. Why would anyone in their right minds go to Iran & risk being detained? Let alone an 87 yr old Julie Andrews.

Because she figures she can achieve something and she's lived life?

AusGeoff wrote on Oct 11^th, 2022 at 3:24am:

Apparently Badiucao’s cartoon depicting a girl kite flying the Ayatollah "is a transcendent work of art, and encapsulates the cultural and demographic challenge engulfing Iran". Coulda fooled me.  Well... uh... it did LOL.

She no have hijab on, neither - she turned it into an ayatollah kite, ayatollah up in the air, to the wind like her hair - geddit?