Home » ScoMo Under Fire For Video Promoting Liberal’s Bushfire Response, Stands By Ad

6 January, 2020

ScoMo Under Fire For Video Promoting Liberal’s Bushfire Response, Stands By Ad

Scott Morrison has stood by an ad posted on his social media page promoting the government’s bushfire response, despite the fierce backlash he received.

The ad, which has been described as “shameless” and is a breach of political advertising rules, promoted the liberal government’s plan to deploy up to 3,000 defence force reservists to help with the bushfire crisis.

We’re putting more Defence Force boots on the ground, more planes in the sky, more ships to sea, and more trucks to roll in to support the bushfire fighting effort and recovery as part of our co-ordinated response to these terrible #bushfires pic.twitter.com/UiOeYB2jnv
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) January 4, 2020

Authorised by Morrison, the liberal party also posted details of the government response on its social media channels.

Mon-partisan watchdog The Australia Defence Associated has accused Morrison’s government of breaching rules around political advertising.

1) Party-political advertising milking ADF support to civil agencies fighting bushfires is a clear breach of the (reciprocal) non-partisanship convention applying to both the ADF & Ministers/MPs. 2) Also cliche-ridden. 3) Its "defence force", not "Defence Force". #auspol #ausdef https://t.co/RlepHHbIx9
— Australia Defence Association (@austdef) January 4, 2020

Meanwhile, countless public figures have taken to social media to express their anger, including former prime minister Kevin Rudd.

He tweeted: “On a day we have catastrophic fire conditions, in the midst of a genuine national crisis, Morrison, the marketing guy, does what? He releases a Liberal Party ad! He is no longer fit to hold the high office of prime minister.”

For God’s sake! On a day we have catastrophic fire conditions, in the midst of a genuine national crisis, Morrison, the marketing guy, does what? He releases a Liberal Party ad! He is no longer fit to hold the high office of prime minister. https://t.co/1OZqEZalOa
— Kevin Rudd (@MrKRudd) January 4, 2020

The ad has also been described as a “self-promotional commercial” and “tone-deaf” by Brtish broadcaster Piers Morgan.

On Saturday evening, Morrison took to Twitter to defend the video.

“The video message simply communicates the government’s policy decisions and the actions the government is undertaking to the public,” he posted.

“The same practice is rightly employed by the Leader of the Opposition and the Labor Party. This is required and standard practice in Australia.”

It is a legal requirement in Australia to include an authorisation on all video messages used on social media by Australian MPs. The video message simply communicates the Government’s policy decisions and the actions the Government is undertaking to the public.
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) January 4, 2020

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