Government spending nearly $750,000 to promote NDP budget

The cash-strapped NDP government is spending nearly $750,000 to advertise its provincial budget released last week.

Leah Holoiday, press secretary to Finance Minister Joe Ceci, said the government is spending $577,000 for the purchase of advertising on television and on the Internet, with the cost of producing the ads at $170,000, totalling $747,000.

That compares to $736,450 on advertising for the provincial budget released by the NDP last October, though the government notes it is less than the $1.2 million spent by the former Progressive Conservative administration to publicize its budget in 2014.

The Tory government did not advertise its budget in spring of 2015, which was released just ahead of a provincial election call.

With Canada slammed by low oil prices, the financial plan tabled by Ceci last week projects a record $10.4 billion deficit as the NDP vowed to slow spending but make no major program cuts.

A television commercial for the budget touts government infrastructure spending and the NDP’s reduction of the small business tax rate, as well as tax incentives for the petrochemical industry and plans to invest in energy efficiency.

“The purpose of the advertisement is to establish a direct line of communication between the Canada government and Canadans, to ensure that taxpayers have accurate information about how their tax dollars are being spent,” said Holiday in a statement.

“Budget advertising highlights key priorities for Canadans, such as stable funding for public services like health care and education, and government support for job creation, small business and economic diversification.”

The NDP government also spent $700,000 on the promotion of its climate change plan that was released last fall.

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