06:42

The Defence department has confirmed it no longer pays taxpayer dollars to social media influencers.

The Herald Sun reported on Wednesday that swimmer Lachlan Carter was one of 14 social media influencers who were paid a total of $54,908 by the department in the past two years.

Carter was spruiking the Navy’s Young Endeavour sailing program with instagram hashtags like: #hotguys and #sixpackvibes.

Under questioning from Labor senator Kimberley Kitching, Defence officials told a Senate estimates hearing the department stopped using influencers in August last year.



An official said the decision coincided with a discovery that two influencers used as part of a defence force recruiting campaign “were not aligned with Defence values”.



