A government action plan sign is seen in Mississippi Mills, Ont., Monday August 23, 2010. When Prime Minister Stephen Harper says the economy is his top priority, he has the advertising spending to support his claim.An examination by The Canadian Press reveals ad budgets geared to promoting economic success have ballooned under the Conservatives since the 2008 global downturn.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
February 04, 2013 - 12:43 PM
OTTAWA - +An examination by The Canadian Press reveals federal advertising budgets geared to promoting economic success have ballooned under the Conservatives since the 2008 global downturn.
Average annual ad spending by the Finance department jumped 58 per cent in the four years following the recession, compared to the five years that preceded it.
Spending by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada was up 72 per cent, on average, while advertising by the Canada Revenue Agency almost tripled.
In the past two years, multi-million-dollar ad campaigns have also been launched by Natural Resources Canada to promote resource development — all under the Conservative "Economic Action Plan" banner.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has repeatedly called the economy his government's top priority, and a spokesman says the increased ad spending reflects efforts to help Canadians access economic programs such as tax cuts and skills training.
But NDP critic Mathieu Ravignat, who requested the latest spending data from Parliament, says the Harper government is more interested in selling rosy messages than actually helping Canadians in a struggling economy.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2013