The $12 million Government advertising campaign to promote the clean energy package and another $13 million to put out associated paraphernalia is a vexing issue about which both sides of the Parliament can be accused of hypocrisy, according to the Independent Member for New England, Tony Windsor.
Mr Windsor was critical of the Government announcing a $12 million advertising campaign even before it had anything to advertise.
He believed the announcement was ill-timed as it was at a crucial stage of negotiations within the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee and, whilst not being a deal breaker, he said at the time that “it was not helpful to the process”.
Mr Windsor says now that there is a package to promote, the Government is within its rights to use taxpayer funds to do so.
“Both sides use taxpayer funds to promote their programs when in Governmen. However, I question the effectiveness of such campaigns and personally think it’s a waste of money.
“The previous Howard Coalition Government and now the Gillard Labor Government have used taxpayer dollars to get their message across to the community.
“Remember the magnets delivered to our homes to keep our fridges ‘alert but not alarmed’ and we ‘unchained our hearts’ before we got the GST?
“Those campaigns, along with smaller promotions about a myriad of other programs, were all paid for by the taxpayer at the direction of the government of the day.
“So the hand on heart indignation of the Opposition to the Government having access to taxpayer dollars to fund such campaigns should be seen just as cynically perhaps as the promotion being undertaken itself.
“Neither will change it,” Mr Windsor said.
