Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

In this consideration in detail I have a series of questions for the minister on the appropriations for the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. Obviously this is an opportunity for the minister to inform the Australian people about details of the appropriations and we anticipate he will take that opportunity in full. Can I specifically direct the minister to his comments in the parliament that the $4.1 million spent on air costs—the actual advertising time—for the first tranche of the industrial relations ads was financed from the line item workplace relations reform ‘raising awareness’ of the Office of Workplace Services and the Office of Employment Advocate. Obviously, these agencies have been renamed in the meantime. This was a MYEFO entry showing $7.3 million in this financial year and $7.2 million in the forthcoming financial year.

The minister in parliament indicated in general terms that the government’s industrial relations advertising was being financed out of this line item. Can I ask the minister to confirm the following: that for the first tranche of the advertising campaign, the costs of buying the advertising time were $4.1 million—that was for a six-day campaign. Can the minister advise of the costs incurred for the first tranche of the advertising campaign in market research, creative work, preproduction and production? Can the minister verify here what he has verified publicly—that is, that there will be a second tranche of advertising? Can I direct the minister to a report in today’s Australian that on this second tranche of advertising the government will spend $36.5 million? Can the minister confirm whether or not that figure is correct? If it is not correct—it is a report in today’s newspaper—can the minister then advise of the correct figure?

Following advising of the correct figure, will the minister advise whether the line item being used to fund the second tranche of the advertising campaign is the workplace relations reform ‘raising awareness’ line item, which would mean expenditure in total is no more than $7.3 million this year and $7.2 million next year? Can the minister answer those questions and verify whether the government has any plans for further advertising beyond the second tranche, which has been publicly acknowledged by the government?

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