Ministers should be forced to pay back taxpayers for dodgy ad campaigns according to Nick Xenophon

SA BEST leader Nick Xenophon joins the State Opposition in vowing to get tough on South Australian taxpayer funded government advertising.

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MINISTERS who tick off on dodgy State Government advertising campaigns would be asked to repay taxpayers from their own pockets, under a proposal by SA Best leader Nick Xenophon.

Senator Xenophon has told the Sunday Mail he will demand tough new rules on taxpayer-funded advertising, including criminal fines and banning government MPs from appearing in campaigns.

His call come as the State Government comes under increased scrutiny for taxpayer-funded advertising campaigns.

The State Opposition last week introduced legislation aimed at cracking down on government campaigns, including banning the Premier or ministers from appearing in, or voicing, political advertisements in the lead-up to state elections.

Senator Xenophon has vowed to make the rules even tougher including:

APPROVAL of the State Government and Opposition, or a vote of both houses, for government advertising within 12 months of an election.

BANNING any images or audio featuring politicians from government advertising campaigns, and advertisements for which legislation has not yet passed.

MAKING ministers personally liable for fines and repaying the cost of an advertising campaign found to be illegal.

INJUNCTION powers, for interested parties, to prevent an advertising campaign proceeding.

INCREASING veto powers for State Ombudsman and Auditor-General.

Senator Xenophon said taxpayer-funded advertising, like the $2.6 million State Government energy package campaign, outraged the public. He said the proposed SA Best penalties would have “real bite”.

“There’s nothing like seeing a premier or a minister being made personally liable and required to repay the money spent on a dodgy ad campaign, or even criminal penalties for repeat offenders, to really focus their thinking before long suffering taxpayers are subjected to these ads,” he said.

The only way to change to the system is to have rules in place that will bankrupt MPs if they break the rules.

“I first took up this issue 16 years ago because the-then Olsen Liberal Government was using taxpayer-funded ads in a blatantly political manner to sell its policies.

“I co-opted then Opposition leader Mike Rann to support my state Bill in 2001 ... however when Mr Rann came to power he made the Liberals look like rank amateurs in taxpayer-funded ads.”

Premier Jay Weatherill said last week it was “entirely appropriate when we are promoting important public policy matters ... that the premier of the state, their image and indeed their voice be used in promoting it”. “This is the work of government about creating confidence in the SA economy and that is why the ads deal with factual matters. They do not make political comment,” he said.

Opposition deputy leader Vickie Chapman said last week if the State Government did not support its proposed legislation, it would reintroduce its Bill to Parliament after the March election and backdate the changes to November 1.