Government Confirms Display Signs Just Political
09 Sep 2009
Media release Reports that the Government is planning to put an authorisation message on the roadside stimulus signs leave no doubt that these signs are designed to seek political advantage at the next election, according to Shadow Education Minister Christopher Pyne.
"The Coalition raised concerns about the $3.8 million roadside school signs last week," said Mr Pyne.
"I wrote to the Electoral Commissioner highlighting areas where the signs may be in breach of the Commonwealth Electoral Act, especially given many of these schools function as polling booths.
"The signs are not providing informative community information. They contain political slogans straight out of the Labor Party's talking points - which makes them political advertisements.
"These political advertisements, paid for by the taxpayer, are required to be constructed at every school that has taken stimulus money, and left there until after the next election."
Media speculation today suggests that the Government has now received advice from the AEC and are therefore preparing to reveal another embarrassing bungle; that their signs were not properly authorised.
"I am calling on the Government to release the full advice from the AEC, and further calling on Julia Gillard to reverse her changes to the guidelines that require schools to display these signs until March 2011, even if their building project is completed in 2009," said Mr Pyne.
"The Education Revolution is descending into farce. The Government has put up these signs around the country at millions of dollars of expense to the taxpayer. Now at further expense, it seems they will be putting up thousands of authorisation stickers on the signs, confirming that they are political advertisements.
"It is outrageous that our part-time Education Minister has found the time to put this political advertisement requirement in the guidelines, but doesn't have the time to stop the waste and mismanagement that has seen a $1.5 billion blowout in her program."
September 3, 2009
Media contact:
Adam Howard
0400 414 833