William Watson argues that among all wasteful government expenditures, the most egregious are the so-called “public service” ads that actually serve as self-promotion for the ruling party. These ads use taxpayer money to tell citizens how well the government is performing, a practice he calls the “acme of arrogance.”
Examples of Self-Promotion During the World Cup
Two current examples highlighted are Ottawa’s ads touting the summer gas tax cut and the revamped GST credit as a groceries and essentials benefit, along with Ontario’s “Protect Ontario” campaign showcasing the Ford government’s actions against carjackers, terrorists, and U.S. trade officials. These ads are slick, upbeat, and paid for by taxpayers, regardless of whether they voted for the government.
Watson notes that the tone is so political that if they ended with a party logo instead of a government logo, no one would be surprised. He calls this a Trump-like practice of self-promotion at public expense, now accepted as legitimate use of funds.
Hypocrisy Across Parties
While opposition parties could make a stink about such waste, they often adopt the same tactics when in power. The Carney government, elected during a national crisis, allocated $345 million in new spending for “advertising for communicating to Canadians” over five years in the last fall’s budget. Watson quips that this is really about communicating how great the Carney government is.
The budget’s “gender and diversity impact” annex justifies the spending as providing “clear and timely information about rights, responsibilities, programs, and risks.” However, Watson argues the ads contain no such information, only self-praise.
Wider Waste Context
Watson contrasts these ads with other wasteful spending, such as the billion-dollar Parliament renovation, hundreds of thousands for fine airplane dining on official trips, and millions for TV shows few watch. But he says self-promotion ads are the worst because they spin citizens with their own money.
“It’s bad enough being spun. But being spun with our own money is the worst,” Watson writes.
Tax Credits and Political Parties
He also notes that tax credits for political parties are so generous that even if parties funded their own ads, it would mostly be tax-funded. The practice persists across governments, with no party willing to end it once in power.
