The Victorian Government’s reported $80m annual advertising spree has come under attack and will now be investigated by the Auditor-General who is expected to hand down his findings prior to the November 25 state election.
The Auditor-General Wayne Cameron agreed to the Opposition’s request for an investigation after Premier Steve Bracks’ Labor Government launched a series of ads late last year including a $9m feel-good campaign to promote Victoria as a “world-class performer”. The campaign also involves sponsorship of Channel 9’s Commonwealth Games broadcast.
Other TV, radio and newspaper campaigns for the Transport Accident Commission and WorkCover were estimated to have cost another $11m.
The Opposition has accused the Bracks Government of using taxpayer money to peddle political propaganda in the lead up to the state election. It said the ads were in breach of government advertising guidelines and would reach $80m for the year leading up to the November 25 polls.
Premier Bracks defended the ads and said his Government would have been “negligent” if it had not promoted workplace safety and safe driving. Bracks also said it was important to promote the state as it heads into the Commonwealth Games.
However, in another potentially embarrassing revelation, the Opposition has obtained documents under freedom-of-information laws that showed the Bracks Government has awarded advertising agency Shannon’s Way, which was founded by Labor’s former fund-raising treasurer Bill Shannon, its 56th consecutive advertising contract.
Shannon’s Way has just been awarded a $220,00 contract to promote the Government’s water-saving initiatives, taking total taxpayer-funded spending on the agency to more than $11m for the past five years.
Meanwhile the Federal Howard Government has been accused on hiring a tax cheat to work on its controversial $55m industrial relations ad campaigns.
The Labor Opposition used parliamentary privilege to claim that Ted Horton of agency Dewey Horton shifted income to off-shore banking accounts in an effort to avoid paying tax.
