WATCH: Why Ontario’s auditor general feels it is important to regulate political advertising.
Is government advertising a necessary tool for educating citizens or an easy way for a governing party to promote themselves?
While the government, opposition parties and public may have their opinions, there is no official and impartial federal voice to deem whether an advertisement crosses the line into partisan territory.
In Ontario, however, Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk polices political advertisements, ensuring ads the public sees are non-partisan — no party logos or members of the government, nothing self-congratulatory or critical of other individuals. Only the facts on new government initiatives.
READ MORE: How would you rate these political ads?
The responsibility was written into the legislation governing the office of Ontario’s auditor general under a Liberal government, however today’s Liberals are trying to loosen the rules.
“I respect anything that gets passed in the legislature,” Lysyk said in an interview on The West Block with Tom Clark. “But the amendments that are being put forward would actually take away my office’s discretion in approving advertising and hold us to a very narrow definition.”
That definition would be so narrow, she said, some questionable advertisements could slip through and lead the public to question her office’s credibility and reputation, she said.
READ MORE: How much should third-parties be allowed to spend on political ads?
It is not a question of whether the government should advertise in an effort to keep Canadians informed of federal policies; the question is whether a government is spending tax dollars promoting the party in an effort to buy votes.
The question was raised recently with a report from The Canadian Press that Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government earmarked $13.5 million to promote its recent budget throughout April and May.
WATCH: What else could the federal government get for $13.5 million?
A federal Liberal MP, David McGuinty, presented a private member’s bill proposing the federal auditor general clear all government advertising as being informative and non-partisan. As with a majority of private member’s bills, however, McGuinty’s is not expected to make it too far down he legislative track.
The Conservative budget, unveiled less than two weeks ago, proposed a number of tax relief measures which have yet to become law.
Still, the advertisements funded through the $13.5 million will promote the Conservative tax benefits as a key pillar of the country’s success “in the 21st century global economy,” according to the media report.
For context, what else could the federal government get for $13.5 million?
Well, that amount of money would triple what’s being spent this year on scholarships for young Aboriginals to attend college or university. It’d pretty much pay for those 10 technical armoured patrol vehicles that the military has been waiting for. Or, it could almost cover the entire budget of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. And that’s just two months of advertising.
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