GOVERNMENT CUTS COMMUNICATIONS SPENDING IN ELECTION YEAR

Communications spending by government was down by more than $5 million or 32 per cent in the 2011-12 election year compared to the previous election year of 2007-08.

Volume 2 of the Public Accounts was released today by the Ministry of Finance. It shows that the government spent $11.5 million on communications in 2011-12 compared to $16.9 million in 2007-08. This is due, in part, to a new law introduced shortly after the 2007 election restricting the amount of government advertising in the months leading up to a provincial election.

Communications spending is down nearly $17 million or 27 per cent in the current government's first term of office compared to the previous government's last term of office. Communications spending from 2008-09 to 2011-12 was $44.9 million compared to $61.6 million in the years 2004-05 to 2007-08.

While communications spending was up about $1 million in 2011-12 compared to the previous year, the increase is due to spending by the Chief Electoral Office to promote the provincial election. The Chief Electoral Office spent $1.5 million on communications in the election year compared to just $105,000 in the previous year.

Spending on ministerial travel was $457,000 in 2011-12, down more than $100,000 from the previous year and down more than $500,000 since the previous government's last full year in office.

Volume 2 of the 2011-2012 Public Accounts is available on the Ministry of Finance website at http://www.finance.gov.sk.ca/public-accounts/.

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For more information, contact:

Brian Miller
Finance
Regina
Phone: 306-787-6605
Email: brian.miller@gov.sk.ca