Government authorises more money for radio and tv election ads

Radio stations will be getting more revenue from election ads this year with the Morrison government allowing millions of dollars to be spent on television and radio advertising for the first time.

Special Minister of State Alex Hawke has overturned regulations that prohibit MPs using their taxpayer-funded office budgets for television and radio ads.

The move, which takes effect immediately, is aimed to “enable regional and rural MPs to communicate with voters more fairly.”

Under previous arrangements, MPs and senators could spend their “office budget” on flyers and printed ads, websites, office stationery and supplies, mobile signage and other items, but radio and tv advertising was explicitly banned until now.

Each lower house MP can spend $136,647 a year plus $1.019 for each electorate constituent, meaning most MPs have a total budget of about $238,000. Senators have a yearly allowance of $109,370.

Alex Hawke says the change is an “overdue modernisation” of the system, and will allow members of parliament to spend money on local broadcast media, rather than on social media and internet platforms

The change will be welcomed by radio companies, although listeners may not be so grateful.

The Labor opposition says politicians should not be allowed to spend taxpayer funds on election campaigns and has threatened to make them pay the money back if it wins government after the next election.

 
 

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