Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Fair Competition) Share this | Hansard source

it was tabled here, technically, I suppose—as an expenditure measure in the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport, there is the referendum on the financial recognition of local government in the Australian Constitution. The appropriation for the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport is $1.1 million this year and $10.5 million next year. The description is as follows—taking the AEC part out of it, because I think we are all clear on what that funding is for:

… the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, the Arts and Sport will receive $11.6 million to undertake a national civics education campaign to provide information to the general public on the referendum and reform process.

Does the minister have any more details around what sort of campaign that will be? Who is it aimed at? What will it be saying? I am unclear as to whether it is going to be a campaign that is advocating for a particular position or whether it is going to be a classic civics education program that proponents and opponents of the proposal at the Commonwealth and state levels would have no problem with. Is there any clarification on that at all, or can the government give a guarantee that it will purely be a civics education program as opposed to advocating one side of the argument or the other?