Time to reform political advertising?

[Dry Rot]

The federal government spent $174.1 million in the year to the end of June on advertising, according to the annual report of the department of finance.

Canberra spent $174.1 million on advertising in 2019 - AdNews

Total campaign advertising media expenditure was $156 million, and non-campaign $18.1 million.

www.adnews.com.au

Both sides do it when in govt, and most of it is actually political. Time for serious reform?

 

[pazza]

I think the issue is thast most of the advertising is over the top. No real examples..just platitudes.

 

[Taylor]

How much money should the government spend on education programs, awareness and engagement for the significant social programmes they are running?

 

[Johnny Karate]

How much money should the government spend on education programs, awareness and engagement for the significant social programmes they are running?

Please. Most of it is bullshit spivving of policies ala paying Scott Cam to recruit tradies.

Howard was a shocker for it and so are this mob. Dandrews does it as well.

 

[Taylor]

Please. Most of it is bullshit spivving of policies ala paying Scott Cam to recruit tradies.

Howard was a shocker for it and so are this mob. Dandrews does it as well.

How are people supposed to know about the web site to help them find their career choices without that publicity work?

I only know about it because of that.

 

[Fat Yak]

Of cause KRudd/Gilliar never did this

 

[Johnny Karate]

Of cause KRudd/Gilliar never did this

Never said that they didn’t. However, Howard spent over $2 billion on this s**t. I’d be shocked if Rudd/Gillard were in the same ballpark given how hard they campaigned against it in 2007.

How are people supposed to know about the web site to help them find their career choices without that publicity work?

I only know about it because of that.

There is room for legitimate community service announcements.

The majority of government advertising does not qualify.

 

[cartwright]

$60m was spent from defence
$9 million from social services.
$0.4m innovation and science

Yup, that's the coalition right there.

 

[Taylor]

$60m was spent from defence
$9 million from social services.
$0.4m innovation and science

Yup, that's the coalition right there.

Right now, in WA the government here is spending a whole load of money on tv adverts talking up how good it would be for the federal government to move maintaining the Collins Class submarines to WA.

The cynic in me says all that money is being spent to be able to build negativity against the LNP federal government, WA is ALP currently, when the jobs are left in SA where they are now.

But, the people should be informed about potential wins for the state, so what else can we do?

 

[cartwright]

Right now, in WA the government here is spending a whole load of money on tv adverts talking up how good it would be for the federal government to move maintaining the Collins Class submarines to WA.

The cynic in me says all that money is being spent to be able to build negativity against the LNP federal government, WA is ALP currently, when the jobs are left in SA where they are now.

But, the people should be informed about potential wins for the state, so what else can we do?

I don't think anyone is saying to not communicate changes/information. There should be a limit on spending, so that it doesn't become a in-govt re-election campaign instead - which is what did happen in this election.

 

[Taylor]

I don't think anyone is saying to not communicate changes/information. There should be a limit on spending, so that it doesn't become a in-govt re-election campaign instead - which is what did happen in this election.

I think we could avoid a lot of political money being spent if the media were more interested in writing stories about how to claim benefits than who is sleeping with who in government but they are a symptom of the people.

 

[cartwright]

I think we could avoid a lot of political money being spent if the media were more interested in writing stories about how to claim benefits than who is sleeping with who in government but they are a symptom of the people.

of the $174million, $60m spent on defence.
what benefit did they promote, exactly ?

 

[Taylor]

of the $174million, $60m spent on defence.
what benefit did they promote, exactly ?

Manufacturing jobs most likely, which promotes economic activity and confidence.

 

[cartwright]

Manufacturing jobs most likely, which promotes economic activity and confidence.

Unlikely. $60 million ? I can’t recall a single ad on manufacturing jobs .

So your position is no limit on spending on advertising, let em go nuts .....??

And on the Scott cam bs, yay we know they’ve appointed some half assed tradie for some photo shoots , but never mind they underfunded vocational training / tafe funding by $1 billion.

 

[Taylor]

So your position is no limit on spending on advertising, let em go nuts .....??

..no??

My position is that government spending can be kept as low as possible but since we are operating in a universe where the government provides services and the public expects those services the government needs to educate or provide the means to educate people on what programs they have running to help them.

Since the system is so complicated the average person can't be reasonably expected to know the entire workings of the government and what is available to them.

The alternative is that everyone gets a report book showing what has been achieved during the last year and we spend half a billion dollars on a computer system that scans your entire data to find out what benefits you're entitled to and applies them.

The population need to know what is being done with their money, the electorate needs to know what commitments are being kept or not. Especially if we are going to expect our government to react on polling data month to month, those people answering the polls need to be as well informed as possible.

The population of Australia loves a winge. They'll open up on just about anything so if the government in power at the time isn't reinforcing their messages and getting things done in the eyes of average Australians they will start getting the perception of not doing anything and that's good enough to tee off on.

All because you don't need to know anything to have an opinion. At least with the spending on advertising government program and policy there's a hope that some will see what is going to be done and what avenues they have to improve their lives.

 

[Dry Rot]

Of cause KRudd/Gilliar never did this

It does help to actually read the OP.

 

[cartwright]

..no??

My position is that government spending can be kept as low as possible but since we are operating in a universe where the government provides services and the public expects those services the government needs to educate or provide the means to educate people on what programs they have running to help them.

Since the system is so complicated the average person can't be reasonably expected to know the entire workings of the government and what is available to them.

The alternative is that everyone gets a report book showing what has been achieved during the last year and we spend half a billion dollars on a computer system that scans your entire data to find out what benefits you're entitled to and applies them.

The population need to know what is being done with their money, the electorate needs to know what commitments are being kept or not. Especially if we are going to expect our government to react on polling data month to month, those people answering the polls need to be as well informed as possible.

The population of Australia loves a winge. They'll open up on just about anything so if the government in power at the time isn't reinforcing their messages and getting things done in the eyes of average Australians they will start getting the perception of not doing anything and that's good enough to tee off on.

All because you don't need to know anything to have an opinion. At least with the spending on advertising government program and policy there's a hope that some will see what is going to be done and what avenues they have to improve their lives.

yeah this doesn’t answer the question.

 

[Dry Rot]

ScoMo's govt is at it again.

Meaningless, pointless TV ads spruiking their alleged 10 year $100 billion infrastructure plan.

This wasteful s**t has to stop.

 

[Taylor]

ScoMo's govt is at it again.

Meaningless, pointless TV ads spruiking their alleged 10 year $100 billion infrastructure plan.

This wasteful s**t has to stop.

The banks are seeing their loan books retreating, investment is dropping off, economic perception is poor and investment in the future is reflecting that. It's a self fulfilling cycle. Apprehension creates a faltering economy which validates the apprehension.

Australia needs to lift it's investment borrowing to get the economy moving.

The government is doing what they can here with these adverts to show that a long term plan of injecting money into this industry is in place, you can invest in building a business to work with the government investment knowing it will be going for a decade.

 

[Dry Rot]

The government is doing what they can here with these adverts to show that a long term plan of injecting money into this industry is in place, you can invest in building a business to work with the government investment knowing it will be going for a decade.

I really hope you are trolling, otherwise I'll leave others to speculate about your intellect.

 

[Taylor]

I really hope you are trolling, otherwise I'll leave others to speculate about your intellect.

If discussion of loan sheets as a measure of economic outlook is too involved I can dumb it down.

Economy bad. Need save money for hard time. No invest in new staff. No risk.

 

[Dry Rot]

If discussion of loan sheets as a measure of economic outlook is too involved I can dumb it down.

Economy bad. Need save money for hard time. No invest in new staff. No risk.

Yes, you have dumbed yourself down.

So according to you, across Australia, CEOs of large infrastructure companies are rushing to their boards tomorrow saying "Hey, I just saw a Federal Govt ad on TV last night during Fat Pizza. Guess what, they are spending heaps on infrastructure and we could invest in that. I didn't know that - isn't it exciting? We must click on that link."

Or alternatively, it is a lame attempt by a dishonest govt trying to avoid following all the sensible advice by the boss of the RBA and many others to actually stimulate the economy now, hoodwink the dumb populace (which you seem to be one) and try to pull a surplus out of their arses.

Or alternatively, you live in a cave and never seen pointless, wasteful govt advertising before?

 

[Taylor]

Yes, you have dumbed yourself down.

So according to you, across Australia, CEOs of large infrastructure companies are rushing to their boards tomorrow saying "Hey, I just saw a Federal Govt ad on TV last night during Fat Pizza. Guess what, they are spending heaps on infrastructure and we could invest in that. I didn't know that - isn't it exciting? We must click on that link."

Or alternatively, it is a lame attempt by a dishonest govt trying to avoid following all the sensible advice by the boss of the RBA and many others to actually stimulate the economy now, hoodwink the dumb populace (which you seem to be one) and try to pull a surplus out of their arses.

Or alternatively, you live in a cave and never seen pointless, wasteful govt advertising before?

I am not talking about big business. I'm talking about the likes of the 71% of people employed in the construction industry by a small businesses.

That industry is being propped up by this stimulus. These people work job to job and now they know there are going to be protects in the pipeline for a decade, they will go ahead with apprenticeships and employment.

The other thing is that as far as stimulus packages go, finishing at the end with something other than debt such as big economically improving infrastructure projects is far superior than bumping up JB HiFis share price from twenty million people hopefully spending their $1,000 there and not simply paying down debt or saving it because they are worried about where the next dollar is coming in this faltering economy.