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Tories spend millions on ad blitz as federal programs cut

By: Bruce Cheadle

Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012 at 9:31 AM | Comments: 0

OTTAWA -- The Conservative government has approved tens of millions of dollars in "economic action plan" ads this year even as it cites fiscal restraint to cut programs such as scientific research and environmental monitoring.

While Finance officials are refusing to disclose the budget for the current "action plan" media blitz blanketing airwaves, a Treasury Board document shows cabinet approved $16 million in "economic action plan" advertising in the first quarter of this year alone.

That doesn't include $5 million approved for a "better jobs" ad campaign, $8 million to sell Canadians on cuts to old age security, and $5 million to promote "responsible resource development" -- the slogan given to an environmental assessment system that was cut back and restructured in the last budget. All the measures are promoted on the government's "economic action plan" website.

In all, the federal cabinet has already approved more than $64 million in ad spending for 2012-13 -- seemingly well on its way to matching the $83.3 million it spent in 2010-11, the last year for which complete numbers are available.

When the Conservatives came to office in 2006, they inherited a federal advertising budget of $41.3 million -- a total they have doubled, and in one case more than tripled, every year they've been in power.

The ad spending comes as Treasury Board President Tony Clement oversees sweeping cuts to government programs.

World-renowned programs such as the Experimental Lakes Area near Kenora, Ont., are being axed for savings of $2 million annually, while the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy was cut to save $5.5 million.

Cindy Blackstock, the executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada, called it "disturbing" that millions are being spent on government ads when First Nations children go to school in mould-ridden classrooms.

"I find these types of expenditures absolutely unacceptable to me, not only as someone who's running an NGO and cares about the inequities that kids are experiencing, but also as a taxpayer," Blackstock said. "What I want to see is those taxpayer funds going into better health care, better education, helping children... not to the promotion of government agendas."

The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat website states: "The Government of Canada's approach to advertising is guided by the principles of value for money, transparency and accountability."

The latest ad blitz trumpets government policy as the key to economic success, while directing viewers to government websites for specific information. "Canada's economic action plan is creating jobs, growth and prosperity," states the ad.

Mathieu Ravignat, the NDP Treasury Board critic, says that doesn't meet the test of a public service announcement.

"When we're announcing a supposed result as opposed to something Canadians need, we're attempting to convince Canadians that this particular government is doing their job," Ravignat said.

"That's not my understanding of the point of government advertising. And that's the problem."

A spokesman for Jim Flaherty's Finance Department defended the campaign in an email.

"In an uncertain global economy, it is important that all Canadians are aware of the initiatives to support the economy and jobs in the economic action plan," spokesman Jack Aubrey wrote.

-- The Canadian Press

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