Election Advertising

[Kane McGoodwin]

Do you think that election advertising should be capped for a maximum allowable amount of minutes per election (as we are effectively paying for each party's funding)? Come to think of it, if they are limited to interviews on the ABC it would be even better - but I suppose a democaracy needs to give them some coverage.

Also, are you feeling better about Health & the GST after the millions the commonwealth has spent on advertising? I would would prefer the government to say that they are going to do no advertising & give us a tax cut instead. I guess I'm dreaming...

Finally, there should be a rule that all election posters/boards are pulled down 48 hours after the election. It infuriates me that they can get them up in a day of the election being announced, but then they sit there for weeks/months after an election. They should be fined per poster not picked up afterwards. Particularly one of our local candidates who has plastered his face on every stoby poll - bit of an overkill I reckon.

 

[Lil_Miss_Eagle]

It would be even better if they used the money they spend campaigning on the health and education systems instead of trying to win four more years in office.

 

[iceman]

Originally posted by Lil_Miss_Eagle
It would be even better if they used the money they spend campaigning on the health and education systems instead of trying to win four more years in office.

That would the logical and decent thing to do....

 

[Frodo]

It is a weak part of democracy that any government can only focus on short term goals (3 years or less) and not the longer term. To gain any continuity of plan a second or even third term is necessary otherwise government is continually spending time undoing what the previous government did and not focusing on any strategy at all.
To this extent a benvolent dictatorship far exceeds democracy.

The three year term usually has an agenda like this :-

Year 1

Rubbish the previous government. Set up enquiries into what they did. Find excuses for reneging on election promises. (eg we didn't know about all these expenses the old government incurred so unfortunately we will have to increase taxes). Undo as much of the previous governments reforms as possible.

Year 2
In this one year something positive can be done. But watch out for it to be reversed by the next government.

Year 3
Focus on winning the next election. A second term means years one and two can be positive. Interest rate cuts, tax reductions, handouts are all part of the game. And as for television...It is the greatest media outlet so advertise ad infinitum.


Restrictions........maybe......but it seems to me to be a curtailing of freedom of speech..and that is wrong.

The government paid educational ads. Nothing new about an incumbent government using public funds to increase their chances of a win. Scrap them for tax cuts. Maybe 1 cent per person per week.

It's the system that is the cause. Change the term to 5 or 7 years and that would be an improvement.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Good point.
There is a lot to be said for extending electoral terms.
Especially given that almost everything that either major party has done over the last 18 months has been with an eye to the election. At least with longer to implement their electoral program we could be spared the year and a half long election campaigns.

 

[Commissioner X]

There have actually been attempts made to regulate election advertising.

In 1991, the parliament passed the Political Broadcasts and Political Disclosures Act to achieve this purpose.

However, the High Court ruled that it breached an implied right of political discussion. No attempt has been made since to regulate political advertising.