Transparency for government advertising

AI summary

Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to establish national transparency standards and non‑partisan guidelines for taxpayer‑funded government advertising; require detailed public reporting on expenditures, contracts, objectives and outcomes; prohibit use of public funds for self‑promotional messaging; designate or create an independent review body; and require independent post‑campaign audits for large expenditures. The petitioners say there are currently no consistent national standards across jurisdictions and that public trust is undermined when governments run large promotional campaigns without independent oversight.

AI summaries describe petitioners’ requests and claims. Consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the Government of Canada Canadians expect taxpayer funds to be used responsibly and transparently; Government advertising funded with public money should provide factual information, not political promotion; There are currently no consistent national standards governing how taxpayer-funded advertising is designed, approved, or reported across jurisdictions; Public trust is undermined when governments spend large sums on promotional campaigns without independent oversight; and The Government of Canada can demonstrate national leadership by establishing strong transparency and accountability practices within its own jurisdiction and encouraging their adoption across Canada. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Establish clear national transparency standards and non-partisan guidelines for publicly funded government advertising; 2. Require detailed, publicly accessible reporting on advertising expenditures, contracts, objectives, and outcomes for campaigns; 3. Prohibit the use of public funds for self-promotional messaging or branding of governments; 4. Create or designate an independent body to review advertising initiatives for accuracy, public value, and non-partisanship; and 5. Require independent post-campaign audits of large advertising expenditures. 1. Establish clear national transparency standards and non-partisan guidelines for publicly funded government advertising; 2. Require detailed, publicly accessible reporting on advertising expenditures, contracts, objectives, and outcomes for campaigns; 3. Prohibit the use of public funds for self-promotional messaging or branding of governments; 4. Create or designate an independent body to review advertising initiatives for accuracy, public value, and non-partisanship; and 5. Require independent post-campaign audits of large advertising expenditures.

Government response

No government response is available yet.