Australian Government Spends $12 Million Taxpayer Dollars Advertising Carbon Tax

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has spoken out defending her decision to spend over $12 million taxpayer dollars on advertising her controversial carbon tax. Gillard claims the spending is justified as it is about providing the Australian public with the facts about carbon tax and how it will affect them.

The goal of the television advertisements is to improve public support for the tax. The government plans to price the carbon at $23 a tonne. The proposed tax would start being charged in July of 2012.

Currently $12 million has been spent on television spots for the campaign. However another $13 million Australian dollars will spent on printing services for brochures as well as online advertising. While the majority of the advertising is likely to go in the city center, suburbs of Sydney such as Peakhurst and Pennant Hills will not be ignored.

Julia Gillard says that this advertising campaign is the right thing to do as there has been a lot of misinformation given out by stakeholder groups and the coalition. In order to reduce the fear that the average person has about the carbon taxes, Gillard feels it is prudent to make practical information regarding the tax readily available. However not everybody feels this way.

The opposition has stated that if the Labor party wants to advertise their new tax they should do it using their own money as opposed to taxpayer dollars. Given how contentious this bill already is it is likely there are a lot of voters who agree with the opposition. Gillard has been accused of using this campaign to drum up support for her party on an election year.