An independent Government Advertising Review Panel to oversee, scrutinise and approve taxpayer-funded advertising will be established by a Baillieu Government, Victorian Liberal Nationals Coalition Leader Ted Baillieu said today.

Mr Baillieu said a Coalition Government will set up an independent review panel to ensure taxpayer-funded government advertising campaigns were not party political and did not inappropriately use taxpayer funds to promote the government of the day.

“This announcement follows a recent recommendation from the NSW Auditor-General, which recommended that all publicly-funded campaigns over $50,000 (except for statutory and regulatory notices) be subject to review,” Mr Baillieu said.

Under a Baillieu Government an Independent Government Advertising Review panel will be established with members of the panel to include retired members of the judiciary, senior academics, and former public sector auditors. The panel will be funded at up to $100,000 per annum and will independently review government advertising to ensure campaigns would not be seen as party political and were not excessive.

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Paul Austin of The Age writes (28 December, 2009):

Premier John Brumby has been accused of misusing taxpayers’ money on a multimillion-dollar pre-election advertising blitz.

The Opposition is demanding tougher rules against using public money for political gain as the Government spends more than $10 million on TV advertisements and mass mail-outs to promote its performance in the sensitive areas of hospitals, schools, roads and public transport.

In the latest campaign, the Government spent more than $1 million on TV ads that spruik Melbourne’s yet-to-be-built new cancer hospital.

Opposition health spokesman David Davis said the $1 million should have been spent on services for cancer sufferers. But Health Minister Daniel Andrews said the campaign was designed to save lives by reducing the ”fear and stigma” surrounding cancer.

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The Brumby Government has abandoned the long-promised redevelopment of Box Hill Hospital today, with a senior Minister in the Labor Government telling the Parliament Labor’s scaled-back $400 million version of the promised $800 million-plus redevelopment was ‘as good as it gets’, Shadow Minister for Health David Davis said.

When asked in Upper House of Parliament today about the Labor Government’s commitment to the redevelopment, arrogant Labor Minister Gavin Jennings replied:

“… it’s pretty clear this is as good as it gets today”

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