Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Ronaldson for his question. As the Senate would know, successive Australian governments have required projects funded by the Commonwealth to carry signage for the life of the project or program, identifying project details and funding sources. It has always been the convention that signs relating to government projects do not carry an authorisation message. The Nation Building Economic Stimulus Plan signs are used to mark Primary Schools for the 21st Century and science and language centre projects under the Building the Education Revolution program. The signs do carry the Nation Building Economic Stimulus Plan brand which is applied to all joint programs and information activities and to materials for projects initiated under the plan. The signs and government websites are intended to assist the public.

We have received advice from the Australian Electoral Commission which suggested that authorisations may be necessary for some signs under the Commonwealth Electoral Act, and, in light of the impending Bradfield by-election and out of an abundance of caution, I announced on 3 September that the government will affix authorisations to all signs already in place and ensure future signs are produced with authorisations. Additionally it is necessary for the government to ensure that these signs are not displayed within six metres of the entrance to a polling booth on the day of a federal election or by-election.

We have taken on board the advice from the AEC. When you look at the opposition’s position, I am advised that, under the previous government’s programs, such as Roads to Recovery, around 70,000 recognition signs were erected. Roads to Recovery signs— (Time expired)