The Gillard Government is set to waste millions more of taxpayers’ dollars on a ‘phase 2’ carbon tax advertising campaign assault on the very same taxpayers, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Simon Birmingham said today
The Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency has revealed in response to a question asked by Senator Birmingham through Senate Estimates the existence of a report identified as:
“Australia’s Clean Energy Future: Creative refinement Phase 2, February 2012”
The report is among 19 prepared by Hall and Partners/Open Mind Pty Ltd as part of a $1.2 million contract to provide market research on the Government’s carbon tax advertising, which has already cost more than $32 million to date.
The report’s very existence makes it hard to believe the Climate Change Minister who has repeatedly claimed no decision had been made on another campaign:
“A spokeswoman for Climate Change Minister Greg Combet said no decision had been made on future advertising.”
The Age, 8 March 2012
“Last night, a spokesman for Climate Change Minister Greg Combet said no decision had been made about whether to create more carbon tax ads.”
Herald Sun, 5 April 2012
“Julia Gillard’s need to spend more than a million dollars finding out what people think of the carbon tax shows what a tin ear she has,” Senator Birmingham said today.
“The spending on market research and ads associated with the carbon tax is the ultimate insult to taxpayers, who not only pay for the ads but will ultimately pay for the carbon tax too.
“Julia Gillard should come clean about Labor’s plans for more taxpayer funded carbon tax ads.
“Labor have already spent at least $32 million in taxpayer funds trying to sell the carbon tax to Australians and apparently have plans for at least another $10 million to flog their dead horse of a policy.
“At a time when Labor claims to be looking for budget savings they should start by ending the wasteful spending on carbon tax ads and market research immediately.”