Aussies have slammed the Albanese Government for spending a literal fortune on a ‘propaganda’ ad campaign to promote fuel conservation.
The ‘every little bit helps’ campaign is set to play on TVs and appear on billboards across Australia from Monday at a cost of $20million.
The ads will promote ditching driving and instead encourage viewers to use public transport, or find alternative options like riding a bike, in an effort to reduce fuel consumption.
Minister for Infrastructure Catherine King announced the marketing campaign two weeks after the national cabinet endorsed a four-stage National Fuel Security Plan.
King said the ads will ensure Australians have the ‘information they need’ about the ongoing fuel crisis.
The Opposition, meanwhile, has been pushing for a publicly available website that shows a dashboard of data like Australia’s fuel supplies, shipments and distribution.
Shadow defence minister James Paterson told Sky News voters want a government that quietly ‘does its job’.
‘Frankly, I don’t think Australians want to be lectured by taxpayer-funded political propaganda about driving less,’ he said. ‘They want a government that does its job and makes sure that we are supplied with the refined fuel that we need.
‘An advertising campaign is not going to make that (fuel deliveries) happen.’
Aussies backed Paterson’s take without hundreds going online to preemptively criticise the campaign.
‘A government once again treating us like idiots, they seem to go out of their way to spend more taxpayers money whenever they can. The only people who benefit from this condescending garbage are the advertising companies,’ one wrote.
‘What a terrible waste of money, telling us what our common sense dictates,’ another said.
‘Scam-paign more like it! $20million of taxpayer money because they couldn’t do their bloody job keeping sufficient fuel reserves in the country?’ another wrote.
‘The $20million would be better given to the truckies to keep their trucks on the road,’ another said.
Australia is currently in stage two of the four-stage fuel plan, the ‘Keeping Australia moving’ level.
The government on Sunday released more ‘fuel saving tips’ as part of its plan. One piece of advice urged Aussies to lower their air-conditioning to ‘make a difference’ in fuel consumption.
Paterson accused the Albanese Government of failing to realise the severity of the fuel crisis in the weeks after the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil passageway, was closed due to the war in the Middle East.
‘They stood up and said threats to fuel supply were right-wing extremist misinformation and they’re struggling to make up for that poor start to this crisis.
‘They didn’t take it seriously and their answer is $20million of taxpayer-funded advertising.
‘It’s very clearly about their political interest, not about fixing the problem.’
SOURCE: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15726129/Australia-petrol-fuel-ad-Albanese.html