OZschwitz: Curbs on statist propaganda

Subject: OZschwitz: Curbs on statist propaganda Wed Jul 02, 2008 10:03 pm

FEDERAL Government advertisements will have to comply with new rules designed to ensure taxpayers' funds are not used to promote political messages or to mount publicity campaigns with little commercial justification.

Under guidelines made public by the Special Minister for State, John Faulkner, the content and style of all big government advertising campaigns will be scrutinised by the Auditor-General to ensure they are non-political.

Taxpayer-funded ads will not be allowed to mention the name of the government party, to include political messages, to influence political support for the government or to "directly attack or scorn" opposition parties.

Ministers will be kept at arm's length when campaigns are developed, and the government will report to Parliament every six months on how much it has spent on advertising campaigns.

Labor promised stricter rules on advertising in last year's election campaign as part of its policies on improving standards and accountability of government.

It criticised the Coalition record on advertising, accusing the Howard government of using taxpayers' funds to bankroll campaigns with political overtones.

Figures Senator Faulkner made public show the former government spent $281.2 million on campaign advertising last year including $52.2 million on its workplace relations legislation.

Senator Faulkner said the Government recognised that advertising and information campaigns were necessary to inform the public of government programs and for operational activities such as defence recruitment.

"But the Government believes campaigns should be politically neutral and not a weapon of political incumbency."

The rules cover what policies may be advertised, content and style of ads, and processes for scrutinising content before they run. Campaigns will only be allowed for policies and programs being implemented during the life of the current Parliament, a measure designed to prevent advertisements on policies up for debate in election campaigns.

Material will have to be communicated "in an explanatory, fair, objective and accessible manner" and "in a manner free from partisan promotion of government policy or political argument"

LNK

OZschwitz: Curbs on statist propaganda

OZschwitz: Curbs on statist propaganda

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