Palaszczuk’s propaganda pitch
TAXPAYER-FUNDED MARKETING IS ONE OF THE GREAT POLITICAL SCANDALS OF OUR LIFETIME. THE BOTTOM LINE IS IT IS SHAMELESS AND MORALLY BANKRUPT.
THE Palaszczuk government hasn’t ruled out spending more obscene amounts of taxpayer money on advertising its post COVID-19 economic recovery plan right up until the election on October 31.
The state goes into caretaker mode on October 3, when all government decisions are effectively put on hold.
But there is no legislative requirement for the government to stop its “unite and recover’’ propaganda blitzkrieg after it changed the law in December last year.
In “exceptional circumstances’’, a government can continue to advertise right up until election day. No doubt the government will deem a pandemic “exceptional circumstances’’.
It was corruption buster Tony Fitzgerald who identified in his report in 1989 that this sort of government advertising could be masked as “propaganda’’ — and he recommended it be stopped six months out from an election.
The marketing spend telling us how well the government is handling COVID-19 comes on top of the government paying former Labor Party aides, including former ALP state director Mike Kaiser, more than $500,000 for COVID polling and consultancy advice.
New government figures show the Department of Premier and Cabinet spent more on marketing and advertising in the last six months than in the entire previous financial year.
The spend was $5.8m — up until June 30 — with the lion’s share of this spent on the economic recovery push.
To put that into context, in the 2018-19 year, the government spent $2.8m on advertising for the entire 12month period.
This data does not include the last three months when the government got really serious about demonstrating its COVID wares via taxpayerfunded marketing.
This is one of the great political scandals of our lifetime.
Taxpayers should not be funding Labor’s re-election campaign.
They can dress it up however they like, but the bottom line is it is shameless and morally bankrupt.
People are being bombarded with “unite and recover’’ ads on everything from billboards to petrol bowsers.
A Kedron cricket oval which has recently been re-turfed is passed by hundreds of walkers each day.
The fencing is adorned by “unite and recover” signage. How is regrassing a cricket oval helping us unite and recover?
DAMAGING DOUBLE STANDARDS
NORTH Queensland is shaping up as Queenmaker at the October 31 election.
Seats like Barron River, Thuringowa, Mundingburra, Keppel and Whitsundays are seen as bellwether contests. The Labor Party only has to lose two seats to be in trouble.
The two key issues in North Queensland are youth crime and the Palaszczuk government’s draconian response to COVID-19.
Despite not seeing a COVID-19 case for months, the government’s sledgehammer, one-size-fits-all approach to restrictions has angered not only small businesses but customers.
Townsville Enterprise chairman Kevin Gill has written to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk saying existing social distancing restrictions — in particular the 4sq m rule — is costing businesses between 30 and 70 per cent of their normal turnover.
“South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia and Northern Territory governments have all adopted a one person per 2sq m density rule,’’ Gill says.
“We are requesting the health advice be reviewed based on the latest data available with a view to easing restrictions.’’
Longboard Bar and Grill on The Strand in Townsville says the “no standing’’ rule had destroyed its bar business.
“One can stand and have a coffee and not get COVID, but put a beer in their hand and they are susceptible,’’ management said.
“The double standards are killing us. Sports are allowed 10,000 guests. We have local chefs going to South Australia where the 2sq m rule is in place and businesses are thriving.’’
The word is Cairns is worse. Labor has some real challenges in North Queensland.