‘Get the facts out’: How Palaszczuk spends millions on messaging

The proliferation of social media platforms has provided a golden opportunity for politicians to get their messages out to audiences.

The Queensland premier’s team is well versed in the power of media, with a wide reach across Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and, more recently, TikTok.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk promoting the state budget.Credit: Rhett Hammerton

But despite a small army of internal media advisers, graphic designers and photographers - enough to rival any newsroom - Annastacia Palaszczuk’s department is also spending millions of dollars a year on external media, marketing and advertising consultants.

The Department of Premier and Cabinet spent more than $9.4 million on external media companies last financial year.

While about $4.95 million was spent on specific COVID messaging, at least $4.46 million was spent on unspecified media, advertising or market research.

A spokesman for the Department of Premier and Cabinet said one of the biggest contracts included $1.4 million for an 11-week campaign across Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia to attract skilled tradespeople to relocate to Queensland.

He said the campaign generated “130,000 unique web page views” and “913 expressions of interest” - but it emerged recently only two tradies successfully took up the incentives.

Another contract included $30,250 for “market research” by data analytics company Kantar Public, which the spokesman said involved “asking Queenslanders about their views so we can continue to deliver improved government services and programs which meet their expectations and deliver value for money”.

But spending was even greater at the height of the pandemic, and $12.04 million was contracted to external advertising and media companies in the previous year. That included about $2.9 million on COVID-related advertisements.

A further $8.44 million was spent in 2020-21 across two companies - MediaCom Australia and Publicis Communications - to “inform Queenslanders of the state’s recovery plan”.

The department spokesman said these contracts involved work that could not be performed “in-house”.

“The Department of Premier and Cabinet procures specialist services, including media booking, audit and creative services, from external suppliers where that skillset and capability is not available in-house,” he said.

“Communication and marketing plays a vital role in connecting Queenslanders with the policies and programs of the Queensland government.

“This is done through a range of activities including advertising campaigns, crisis communication, social media content, websites, events and media relations.”

Last week, Palaszczuk could not immediately recall how many in-house media advisers worked in her team.

“During the height of COVID, most people were going in and watching our daily press conferences and also the dissemination of our information and also too now with our budget posts, we reached over 1 million people,” she told reporters.

“It’s very important that government is able to get the facts out to the public.”

Parliament was recently informed at least 10 full-time communications specialists worked within the premier’s office and a further eight within her department, not including graphic designers and content producers. Other ministers and departments have their own staff.

That compares with six full-time staff working in the Office of the State Opposition.

At least 1067 media and marketing staff work across the government, 195 more than when Palaszczuk led Labor to power in 2015.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said the government should be more transparent over the media costs.

“People will accept advertising with a message, what they won’t accept is advertising to tell them how great the government is and increasingly the line is being blurred,” he said.

“Everybody understands there needs to be a balance between a public service that’s independent and able to give advice freely and frankly, a private sector that can do the same.

“But if the government is writing cheques well then Queenslanders deserve to know what value they’re getting for that.”