Howard Government spent almost $200 million on advertising campaigns

We all knew we would eventually find out how much of the tax payers money was being waisted on advertising by the Howard Government, a Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet report says that the Howard Government spent almost $200 million on advertising campaigns in the year to June 2007.

The annual report, was released on Monday, it showed how the Howard Government had spent $196.4 million on advertising campaigns across a range of issues including defence force recruitment, superannuation and the sale of Telstra shares.

What I find VERY scary is this report does not specify whether the Work Choices and climate change advertising campaigns were included. These were some of the loudest advertising campaigns, which we all saw hundreds of times leading up to the announcement of Federal Election date.

A further $84.9 million was spent on less controversial advertising for public service recruitment and tenders for government-funded projects.


The Ministerial Committee on Government Communications, which makes the key decisions relating to advertising campaigns before advising the Government Communications Unit (GCU), met 58 times during the year - more often than federal cabinet.

The report also revealed the GCU keeps a register of advertising firms willing to handle government advertising.

Almost 650 firms were on the register at 30 June 2007; 90 firms registered for the first time or updated their entry during the year," the report said.

Prior to the previous Federal Election the Howard Government also bombarded us with this type of advertising. Essentially using taxpayer funds to get a lead on political advertising by showing off services on offer from the government and fear campaigns regarding being ready for terrorism etc. The terror hotline fridge magnets were very effective... I know nobody who kept it, many people sent them back in disgust or trashed/recycled them upon arrival.

Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd responded to the report by giving a "100 per cent" guarantee that Labor would use taxpayer funds only for advertising campaigns deemed acceptable by the auditor-general.

He also accused the Howard Government of strangling the long-term interest of the nation for its own political advantage.

"This report ... reveals a staggering figure of some $281 million in government advertising," he said. "That figure excludes the amount on the meter (which) has been ticking over since 1 July this year.

"It's our belief that from 1 July this year until the issuing of the writs we've had close to a million dollars a day ... over 120 days, (that's) about $120 million of government advertising.

"That money ... could have been spent on close to a million dental consultations, 280,000 bed nights in hospital or 20,000 hip replacements."

It generally does feel like the Australian people have finally woken up to the Howard Government's pre-election stunts and now share anger towards the waisted use of taxpayer funds.

The advertising figure comes on top of a scathing audit report on the Government's administration of the $330 million regional partnerships program and criticism over the Coalition's $9.4 billion spending spree at its campaign launch.

Source: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22783451-5007133,00.html