The Government believes that explaining the biggest tax reform package in Australian history is important. It has a responsibility to inform business and consumers about it. Business and consumers require information about the changes so they can adequately discharge their responsibilities under the law.
Giving out information on tax changes was a policy followed by the Labor Government where the minor changes which it put in place were backed with significant communications and information programs.
In any event the Labor Party wants to have the new tax system fully explained and installed so it can take advantage of it if it is ever elected. Mr Crean can hardly complain about an information campaign on a tax system which he wants to inherit and keep.
For the record the figures in a press release by Mr Crean today are, as usual, a mismash of misunderstanding and misrepresentation. They add together four year programs on ATO communications to one year programs on ACCC price surveillance. In addition it completely misunderstands the nature of the private sector delivered education programs. These programs are delivered by the private sector to their members and are not advertising campaigns. They are rendered by industry associations on compliance issues not on advertising.