Clay Lucas of The Age writes (5 January, 2010):

A deluge of television, radio and print ads and outdoor billboards promoting the State Government’s recent transport announcements will have cost Victorians $5.5 million by June.

And a musician whose song was a key element of the Government’s TV campaign is concerned over how his music has been used.

Schedules for the Government’s It’s part of the plan ads, obtained by the Opposition, reveal the extent of the publicly funded campaign.

TV ads were screened on Melbourne’s commercial channels 2182 times over 10 months, from December 2008. Some 50 billboards were attached to the back of trucks for one month last year, and 24 large billboards are now on train stations around Melbourne promoting the arrival of new trains.

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Aaron Langmaid of the Herald Sun writes (4 Jan, 2010):

Selling John Brumby to Victorians does not come cheap.

The State Government will have splurged a staggering $214 million on advertising by the end of this financial year, according to Coalition calculations.

But the State Government has denied the expenses, saying its advertising budget had actually dropped by more than $1 million two years in a row.

And its says the money is spent on much needed public awareness campaigns aimed at saving lives.

But the Liberals claimed yesterday the Government had the dubious honour of having spent more money on self-promotion than any other state in Australia.

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Shadow Minister for Scrutiny of Government David Davis today released new figures revealing government advertising has reached record levels under John Brumby.

In 2002/03 the Brumby Government spent $125 million on advertising, according to the Victorian Auditor General.

In 2008/09 that figure had increased to $195 million and is projected to reach $214 million by the end of 2009/10, based on the Coalition’s analysis of the Auditor-General’s findings on the Brumby Government’s advertising expenditure.

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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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