wasteful drain on taxpayers’ dollars or delivering value to New Zealand?
The New Zealand Government, being the country’s largest advertiser, allocates millions of dollars to media companies, agencies, and consultants. Prior to this year’s election there was plenty of rhetoric directed from the Opposition ranks. Questions were raised about the government’s use of advertising to promote its policies, leading to accusations of wasteful spending and claims that Wellington was disconnected from the rest of the country. With a change in government, advertising is going to come under a microscope.
Health advertising budgets for instance equated to the cost of hospital beds and nurses. Emails and presentation decks were fair game to be OIA-ed (Official Information Act). Ministers were interrogated inconspicuously by Mike Hosking on NewstalkZB.
