Government adverts must be factually correct, standards commissioner rules

Standards commissioner George Hyzler has published new guidelines to ensure government adverts and promotional material are factually correct.  According to the guidelines, which were put up for public consultation in June, state adverts and promotional material produced by the government or public entities should not include partisan content.  Pictures of ministers, or even their names featuring in government adverts, will see them fall foul of the new guidelines.  Leaflets or other documents other than adverts and advertorials may include content that refers to the minister, as long as it is "strictly limited" and contributes to the legitimate purposes of the document.  The standards commissioner said government-sponsored publications should indicate that they are publicly funded for the sake of transparency, and ministers should direct public funds to the media for advertising according to fair and objective criteria.  These guidelines specify that they do not cover all situations that might arise, and matters not covered by the guidelines will continue to be governed by the ministerial code of ethics. The advertising guidelines were drafted by the commissioner after he found...