Government spends 49 per cent of three year budget spruiking live export policy, says export council

Nearly half of the advertising budget of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) since 2022 has been allocated to promoting the live sheep export ban, according to the Australian Live Export Council (ALEC). A $2.3 million tender awarded to Universal McCann is highlighted, with DAFF’s total advertising spending exceeding $4.66 million in this period, including campaigns for Bird Flu and biosecurity. Critics, including ALEC’s CEO Mark Harvey-Sutton, argue the campaign primarily targets urban sympathizers rather than affected farmers, while DAFF asserts it aims to inform the supply chain and impacted stakeholders.

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