http://www.smh.com.au/national/rudd-uturn-provokes-lib-sideswipe-20100528-wld9.html?autostart=1

"Upon winning the election, Mr Rudd honoured his promise that all taxpayer-funded campaigns costing over $250,000 would be vetted by the Auditor-General to ensure they were apolitical.

The federal government has given itself the green light to spend $38.5 million of taxpayers' money on political advertisements for its mining tax,,,,,"

Not has Labor spectacularly failed to deliver on any of its performance based promises, it continually reneges on all promises that it could keep defining them as "non core" promises.

I am beginning to wonder if there are any core promises at all that Rudd will bother to keep?

How can you tell when Rudd is lying? - When he is awake.

Looks like he is infected by the Howard non_core promises bug.
But then again it may be the Tony Abbott one.
Was it scripted or spoken on the run?
If Kev told as big a lie as the miners have on this issue he should be be smacked.
Next term you must do better Kev.

It pales by comparison with Howard's spending on government advertising - remember all those Work Choices Ads and brochures sent to each Australian home.

Swan requested an exemption on this according to one news report because the public has asked for more information claiming there is mixed messages coming from both sides of the tax debate and the "public is hungry for information".

The mining companies have done their best to create a hysteria over the tax. This is one way of informing the public - so it seems.

I am not sure if it was necessary or not but at least there is some oversight on government advertising unlike the last government's largesse to its own advertising budget.

I do wonder if the message is already getting out, most people I speak to support a higher tax on mining companies of some sort to adequately pay for the raw materials. And I wonder if there is already enough media doorstops, debates, interviews and articles that adequately inform those that care to be.

*The mining companies have done their best to create a hysteria over the tax*

Rubbish. The mining companies can use a calculater and are pointing
out the bleeding obvious. Those who work for Govt don't need to
use a calculator, for when they are short of funds, they just tax
more, then as usual piss it up against proverbial walls. My
accountant used to work and live in Canbbera, he tells me they
have lost all touch with the real world there, for many are third
and fourth generation Govt workers.

Fact is that there are a whole stack of exploration companies,
who have relied on investors prepared to take a risk, for their
funding. Given that its now not worth taking that risk anymore,
for if they find something, the Govt wants most of it. Those
investors will simply turn to other industries or offshore, where
Govts are more reliable then in our banana republic.

Peter Costello is correct on this one. Once taxation goes past
50%, its more like robbery and no longer a fair thing. Miners
and investors too, have a sense of justice.

How much are you Pelican, prepared to risk, of your hard earned
savings, on mining exploration, where you could lose the lot?

I betcha nothing, 0, but if others do and a few make a profit,
you want to grab two thirds of it. Its unethical!

It pales by comparison with Howard's spending on government advertising - remember all those Work Choices Ads and brochures sent to each Australian home.
Pelican,
They were justified to counter the senseless left's relentless brainwashing of those who want benefits but are unwilling to risk effort.
Since you're on the subject of mismanagement & gross waste look at the present situation.

The Coalition government was not the first and only government to spend state money on "information campaigns" to counter "political mis information."

However, was Kevin Rudd that took the political moral high ground and condemned the abuse of taxpayers' money by the Howard government - as "a sick cancer" and promised to reform this process.

He stuck to this promise while it was convenient and ditched it the first time it wasn't (i.e. the next election) as with a plethora of other inconvenient promises.

Spending state money on political self promotion makes Rudd just as guilty as Howard, except following his criticisms and promises not to do so makes him also a hypocrite and a liar.