Foreword

Governments may legitimately use public funds for information programs or education campaigns to explain policies, programs or services, and to inform members of the public of their obligations, rights and entitlements.

Of all the things that agencies spend public funds on, advertising is one that creates political controversy and attracts public debate. The important role played by government advertising can be undermined by ongoing criticism that it serves party political interests.

Our first performance audit of government advertising in 1995 found that guidance to agencies needed to be improved.

In response to community criticism around advertisements appearing in the lead up to the March 2007 state election, we decided to again review guidance material and a sample of campaigns to test the robustness of the approval process.

This audit provides an overview of the current guidance available to NSW public sector agencies. The report captures best practice criteria and reporting frameworks used in other jurisdictions that help agencies make judgments about party political content. These practices would be equally applicable here.

Peter Achterstraat

Auditor‑General

August 2007