Prime Minister Tony Abbott rules out 'big' taxpayer-funded budget ad campaign

Updated

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has ruled out a "big" taxpayer advertising campaign to spruik the budget, telling MPs such a move would be "disingenuous" during the budget emergency.

A government source confirmed an MP raised the issue in a party room meeting, following reports the Government was considering a campaign.

The source says Mr Abbott told the party room the Government would not embark on a "big" advertising campaign partly because it would be difficult to justify the spending while the Government was asking voters to tighten their belts.

However it is expected the Government will embark on a letter or leaflet drops targeted at those most affected by the Government's proposed budget cuts.

Labor has targetted the issue in Question Time, with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten asking: "Why is his Government prepared to use the $80 billion that is slashed from hospitals and schools to run an advertising campaign to promote his broken promises and election lies?"

Forced to withdraw the term "lies", he replaced it with "fairytales", but the Prime Minister lashed back saying the $80 billion in funding never existed and he pointed to Labor's spending on advertising.

"$700 million was spent on political advertising by the previous government," he said.

At the third Opposition question on the subject, Mr Abbott said talk of an ad blitz was "a piece of confected fantasy".

"There is no Government advertising campaign so please stop having the vapours about something that isn't happening. Stop wasting questions," he said.

However, the Prime Minister has not ruled out a future advertising roll-out to explain the budget measures.

Government has 'responsibility' to tell voters: Finance Minister

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says the Government has a "responsibility" to tell the public about how its changes will affect voters.

"We're going to be doing what needs to be done to ensure that all of the different people and groups across Australia that are impacted by various budget decisions understand how exactly they're being impacted and not being impacted," he said.

"So we will do that in the usual way."

Mr Cormann would not say how much a potential advertising campaign would cost.

The Treasurer's parliamentary secretary Steve Ciobo has played down how much any advertising campaign will cost, saying it can be funded by the existing allowances allocated to MPs.

"I fundamentally believe that within the fixed budgets that already apply to members of parliament that we'll be able to push that message," he said.

"I'm talking about the budgets that are made appropriate for MPs to use to communicate messages to their electorates."

MPs electorate allowances are worth between $32,000 and $46,000 per year, depending on the size of their electorates.

But Mr Ciobo was unable to confirm if the Government would fund any further advertising and but praised efforts to communicate with voters as a "good approach" when asked if he would support further spending.

Hockey, Abbott can't sell this budget, O'Connor says

Opposition frontbencher Brendan O'Connor seized on the Government's comments.

"The reason why this Government would have to spend taxpayers' dollars and take that from places like schools and hospitals to sell the message is because Joe Hockey and Tony Abbott cannot sell this budget," he said.

"The reason they cannot sell this budget is because this budget is a budget of broken promises, a litany of lies by the Government, imposing cruel measures on the Australian people."

Mr O'Connor's comments echo those made by Prime Minister Tony Abbott when he led the Coalition opposition in 2011.

"Just on the subject of the government's advertising campaign, what you've got at the moment is a government which is taking money off schools and hospitals so it can spend it on ads and this is absolutely the wrong way to go," Mr Abbott said in July 2011.

Labor Senator Sam Dastayari says no amount of taxpayer advertising will change the community's view of the budget.

"This budget can't be sold because it's unsaleable, and no advertising campaign's going to fix that," he said.

"That money should be going to the measures that are being cut."

Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer, who arrived at Federal Parliament in a Rolls Royce this morning, says the mooted advertising campaign is a sign of the Government's desperation and "totally improper".

"This is what the Liberal Party does when they're desperate," he said.

"Government advertising is ineffective for political purposes – the public sees what it's about, and they see through it."

Topics: federal-government, government-and-politics, budget, australia

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