Daniel Andrews is the biggest spender of any state MP on Facebook advertisements
Figures reveal the amount of money Premier Daniel Andrews is spending to promote himself on Facebook. See how he compares to other politicians.
Victoria
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Victorian politicians are spending big on Facebook advertising for this year’s state election.
Latest figures reveal MPs are splashing thousands of dollars on Facebook advertisements in a bid to boost their profile and promote their work.
Daniel Andrews has been revealed as the state’s biggest spender, paying $41,748 on 117 advertisements in the first three months of the year.
He spent more than any other state MP.
Since coming to power in 2014, he has amassed more than a million followers on the social media platform, more than Scott Morrison or any other state or territory leader.
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy fell well short of the Premier’s spending, dropping $13,524 on just 15 Facebook ads, while the Victoria Liberals spent $17,537 on their page.
Creative Industries Minister Danny Pearson paid $2301 promoting his Facebook page while Education Minister James Merlino spent $1954 on three ads.
Oakleigh MP Steve Dimopoulos spent more than $5000 while Mordialloc MP Tim Richardson spent $4821.
Greens MP for Brunswick Tim Read was another big spender – $6394 on 15 ads – while his party’s Facebook page spent more than $9500.
Liberal MPs Louise Staley and Gordon Rich-Phillips, and Labor MPs Darren Cheeseman and Kat Theophanous, spent more than $3000 each on their own ads, while former Labor MP Kaushaliya Vaghela spent more than $1500 in the three months.
Of the 128 members of Victoria’s parliament, 11 spent less than $100 on Facebook advertising while fewer than half did not put a cent into Facebook.
Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan and Health Minister Martin Foley were among the MPs who spent nothing on Facebook pages this year.
The biggest spender was the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, which spent a whopping $715,000.
Climate 200, the group promoting independent candidates at the federal election, spent $327,000, while Clive Palmer spent $132,000.
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