Treasurer Rob Lucas reveals Labor spent $2.9 million in taxpayer-funding advertising to push final Budget

TREASURER Rob Lucas has revealed $2.9 million was spent on taxpayer-funded advertising to push plans from Labor’s final Budget, a move he calls a “last-ditch attempt to cling to power”.

TREASURER Rob Lucas has revealed $2.9 million was spent on taxpayer-funded advertising to push plans from Labor’s final Budget, a move he calls a “last-ditch attempt to cling to power”.

Mr Lucas pledged the new Government “will not be spending any taxpayer funds on commercial television or radio” advertising to promote next week’s State Budget.

But he didn’t rule out “modest expenditure” to promote a new scheme to abolish small business payroll tax from next year.

The $2.9m in Labor advertising included the “growing jobs today” and “jobs accelerator grant” campaigns.

Mr Lucas said it was a “shameful waste of South Australians’ hard-earned money” on “self-promotion”.

Opposition treasury spokesman Stephen Mullighan said Mr Lucas was being “hypocritical” by leaving the door open to advertising about tax cuts.