The ACT government expects to spend more money on its own advertising, signing a contract worth up to $25 million for media placement and advice.
But the opposition has warned the contract's emphasis on data collection to launch targeted advertising campaigns is concerning.
The contract with Mediabrands Australia Pty Ltd, signed in January, notes "there will be an increase in higher-profile and higher budget campaigns with a much more strategic focus".
ACT Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee said the government needed to justify the expected $25 million spend and the purpose of the contract.
"The ACT government must explain and be up front with the Canberra community about the purpose of this contract - about the nature of the information that they are going to be collecting from Canberra residents and how it will be used," Ms Lee said.
The previous contract covering "creative and digital communication services" for the ACT government was worth $8.5 million; it was signed in 2018 and expires on February 28.
Ms Lee said the contract was a "$25 million re-election war chest for the Chief Minister and the Labor and Greens parties leading up to the 2024 election".
"While it is important for the ACT government to ensure messaging around specific government services reaches those who need it, a $25 million contract for fairly specific purposes of microtargeting and collecting data from residents will no doubt be very concerning for many Canberrans," Ms Lee said.
A spokeswoman for the ACT government said the new contractor was not required to collect the personal information of ACT residents.
"We are always looking to improve the effectiveness of campaigns and ensure they provide value for money and reach the appropriate audiences, using publicly available data and campaign analytics," the spokeswoman said in a statement.
Approved subcontractors include Kinesso, LLC, to provide "analytics services and tools, including for ad ops, reporting, insights, research and data".
Matterkind, an operating division of Kinesso, LLC, is also an approved subcontractor.
"We join data, services, and tech to build respectful marketing with a lifetime impact," the New York-based company said on its website.
An ACT government spokeswoman said the contract required end-to-end media placement and advice to all government directorates, and its price included the expected costs of advertising campaigns.
"All government campaigns are subject to the Government Agencies (Campaign Advertising) ACT 2009. Campaigns that are likely to exceed $40,000 are subject to independent review, ensuring compliance with this act," the spokeswoman said.
The 11 government advertising campaigns reviewed under the act in the six months June 30, 2022 were worth a total of about $725,000.
The monthly Our CBR government newsletter, which is distributed to households in the ACT, costs about $60,000 a month.
The most expensive campaign was the Health Directorate's COVID Smart advertising, worth $100,000.
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.
