Government ad spend rose to record high in July

Government spending hit a record high in July, data gathered from Australia’s media agencies reveals.

The huge spike – more than three times what was spent in the same month last year, and more than double any previous July – comes against the backdrop of claims that the Labor government has been using advertising as a political tool.

According to data gathered from agencies by Standard Media Index, government spending rose to $57m in July. This was compared to $16m the year before.

The government’s advertising around its changes in visa legislation – which opponents claim have been aimed at “vote people, not boat people” – have been heavily advertised in Australian newspapers, on TV and on radio. That one campaign has a budget of $30m against it. The government has also been heavily promoting its Plan for Australian Jobs.