June 17, 2011
The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has accused the Gillard Government of neglecting practical environment initiatives in allocating millions of dollars to an advertising campaign to sell its ‘carbon tax’.
Mr Chester said it was ironic that the government had found $12 million of taxpayers’ money to promote the tax when last year it took $11 million out of Landcare – a community-based program designed to improve and maintain the environment.
“Given a choice between propaganda and propagation, this government will always go for self-promotion and the advertising campaign,” Mr Chester said.
“This money could have been used to plant more than three million trees or reduce the impact of pest animals and weeds.
“It is mystifying that a government that has been happy in the past to cut money out of Landcare can justify spending millions of taxpayers’ money on a climate change advertising campaign.
“But everyday Australians have woken up to this government. The public knows the Prime Minister made a fundamental breach of trust when she said ‘there will be no carbon tax under the government I lead’.
“The government will do anything to cover up its shortcomings on practical environmental projects and is more than happy for everyday Australians to foot the bill for wasteful advertising.”