Anne McEwen (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Minchin, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Can the minister confirm that since the last election the Howard government has spent more than $800 million on advertising? Isn’t this spend five times the amount the government will spend on the mental health program this year and six times as much as it will spend on rural health services? Can the minister confirm that the advertising spend included: $93 million for advertising the government’s extreme industrial relations changes; $27 million for advertising private health insurance; and $52 million for climate change spin, including $23 million worth of advertising? How much public money in total has the Howard government spent on advertising since the start of this year? How much more will the Howard government spend on advertising before the election?