Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Conroy. Minister, the Independent Communications Committee chaired by Mr Allan Hawke has found that the government's $22 million NDIS advertising campaign is in breach of the guidelines on information and advertising campaigns. Mr Hawke's advice of 13 June said:

The Committee is concerned that running the proposed national campaign in Western Australia may not fully comply with Principle 4 of the Guidelines, specifically the need for campaign information to clearly and directly affect the interests of recipients.

The Committee considers that the need to run the proposed campaign advertising in Western Australia at this time requires a specific and strong justification given there is not currently a negotiated agreement to co-fund and implement the DisabilityCare scheme in that state.

Why is the government defying the advice of Mr Hawke and breaching its own advertising guidelines, and will the government now cease the advertisements in Western Australia?