An independent watchdog is needed to stop the Conservatives' "flagrant misuse of taxpayers' money" on partisan government advertising, said Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff.
The Liberals are proposing a system similar to one adopted in Ontario in 2004, which screens provincial government ads for partisanship and bans the use of any politician's name, image or voice.
The committee would "make absolutely sure that the government of Canada advertises for the government of Canada - not for the party in power."
The Liberal proposal comes in reaction to news that the Conservative government is spending more than four times the money promoting its January budget than it is on public service messages for swine flu.
Critics have complained that the $34-million Economic Action Plan campaign - and in particular an accompanying government website - are infused with partisan Conservative messaging.
The Liberal proposal received an immediate endorsement from New Democrat MP Pat Martin, who also wants the auditor general to examine current government communications practices.
The Liberal plan, said PMO spokesman Andrew MacDougall, is " premised on the fact that there's something wrong with what we're doing " - a premise the government emphatically rejects.
Partisanship in taxpayer-funded ads is a recurring issue in federal politics, and one that previous versions of the Conservative party railed against when in opposition.
The NDP's Martin said both Liberal and Conservative governments have been "guilty as hell of abusing what should be a black-and-white ethical issue."
Source: Marketing, 09/28/2009
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