Arabic version: إنفاق كوينزلاند على الإعلانات يبلغ 48.8 مليون دولار

According to ABC News, the Queensland government spent an estimated $48.8 million on advertising in the last financial year, close to its approximately $50 million cap. The figure was lower than the $50.7 million spent in 2023/24 by the previous Labor government.

Parliamentary budget estimates heard that the LNP administration spent more than $5 million on a statewide campaign outlining what it is delivering for Queensland. The blue-coloured material appeared online, on television and radio, and in pamphlets delivered to letterboxes. The campaign highlighted measures including frontline health staff numbers and local infrastructure spending.

The opposition criticised both the campaign’s prominence and its colour scheme, accusing the government of “blue-washing” Queensland’s traditional maroon. Premier David Crisafulli told the hearings that his government had introduced a cap on advertising spending, saying it was less than the former government’s final-year expenditure.

The government also spent almost $9 million on a road safety campaign after the 2025 road toll reached a 16-year high, with the current year trending to surpass it. That was above the roughly $4.7 million average spent on road safety over the previous three financial years. A further $1.2 million went to preventative health campaigns, including flu vaccination messaging. Budget estimates also revealed more than $410,000 in termination payments for ministerial staff, with 16 of 66 employees who were sacked or resigned receiving payments.