NT Politicians Waste Public Funds On Propaganda

The Territory Government has again dipped its hand into taxpayer’s pockets to bolster its re-election chances.

The weekend press advertisements about the Territory budget are little more than political propaganda.

Ironically the taxpayer funded advertisement highlights that education has become the poor cousin under Territory Labor.

The advertisement states that education funding has grown by 51% since 2001. That is significantly less than the 76% that Territory Government’s budget has increased by since 2001 and is dwarfed by the 89% increase in health funding and the 81% increase in Police Fire and
Emergency Services.

“In a ‘shoot themselves in the foot moment’ the Labor Government has managed to advertise how little importance it places on education,” says Terry Mills, Leader of the Opposition.

“As a proportion of the budget, spending on education has fallen under Territory Labor.

“The Territory has the worst education performance in the country yet this Government thinks it’s smart to advertise that the education budget doesn’t attract its fair share of money.

“No wonder the Territory’s performance in literacy and numeracy is actually going backwards.

“Territory teachers would be doubly enraged to see their taxes used to pay for government propaganda whilst they are being denied a fair pay outcome.

“The advertisement also contains the type of deceit that the Labor Government is becoming renowned for.

“It claims to be delivering 60 more police for suburban patrols. The actual number next year is 35 but this important detail is conveniently omitted.

“Again we see this Government abusing taxpayer’s money in a shoddy propaganda exercise that is cynically designed to court votes.

“The only way this type of abuse of taxpayer’s money will cease is when all taxpayer funded advertising is subject to an independent audit.

“The Territory Government rejects independent audit because it knows much of the advertising it does would never pass such an audit.”

2008-05-18