Harper photos removed from government website

Harper photos removed from government website



Only a half-dozen of PM's 40 or more photos survive the cut after boosterism accusations
Sep 22, 2009 04:30 AM
THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA–The Government of Canada website set up to promote the Conservative economic action plan had a leaner look yesterday: more than 30 photos of Prime Minister Stephen Harper had been removed.

Critics have complained that the website, actionplan.gc.ca, looks like a partisan promotion – complete with a Tory-blue colour scheme, glowing third-party testimonials, more than 40 photos of Harper and repeated references to "the Harper government" rather than the Government of Canada.

Published reports have highlighted the $34-million budget for promoting the economic plan.

A story by The Canadian Press, published in the Star yesterday, noted that the $34-million budget for promoting the economic plan dwarfs the federal budget provided for informing Canadians about swine flu prevention as the flu season starts.

Non-partisan public service ads on preventing the spread of the H1N1 virus began airing yesterday. The Public Health Agency of Canada picked up the $2 million tab.

The latest TV ads promoting the stimulus package, part of a $34-million campaign, cost $5 million, and include Conservative-friendly tag lines such as "We can't stop now."

Rules on government advertising say it is to be non-partisan and not promote any party or individual.

There are also rules on government branding, including using the word Canada in any department or agency name, or including Government of Canada in close proximity.

References to the "Harper government" remained on the website yesterday. But photos of the Prime Minister were reduced to about seven, from the original 40-plus.

Ontario adopted a law in 2004 in an effort to prevent partisanship in taxpayer-funded provincial government ads. The rules include barring any images of the premier in government-paid promotions.

On Sunday, a PCO spokeswoman defended the Harper photos on the website, writing by email that "(Harper) is the chief spokesperson in the Government of Canada for the (action plan)."

Further written questions to the Privy Council Office about government policy on advertising received no immediate response yesterday.