No minister names or photos to be allowed in government adverts

The Commissioner for Standards in Public Life has launched a set of guidelines to regulate government advertising and promotional material published by public entities.

The main purpose of the guidelines is to avoid having ministers spending public funds on personal or political publicity.

Apart from serving as guidelines for public figures, the guidelines have been launched so as to provide clarity over how the Commissioner's line of reasoning when deciding on case reports. 

Public spending on promotional adverts became a hot topic after the Commissioner ruled that Minister Carmelo Abela breached the Code of Ethics for Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries through a €7,000 government advertising campaign paid by his ministry. 

In his report, the Commissioner concludes that the advert was "clearly intended to boost the image of Minister Carmelo Abela rather than provide any information of value to the general public, given the prominence of the photograph and the absence of informative content on the work of the minsitry".

He added that, by the Ministry's own admission, the use of public funds for the advertisement was approved by "the Public Service", meaning career public officers serving in his ministry.

The guidelines cover government advertising and paid-for articles published in the media. 

All leaflets, postcards, gift items, and audiovisual material broadcast on television or social media that are paid for through public funds will only be subject to these guidelines.

No partisan content will be allowed on these mediums, while the names or photos of ministers will not be permitted on government adverts. A brochure or other document that is not promotional but is issued by a government body may include content referring to a minister, provided that such content is strictly limited and contributes to the legitimate aims of the document.

The guidelines are still at draft stage, and will be subject to consultation before they are applied by the Commissioner's Office in its operations.

All stakeholders, including political parties, government entities, and the general public, are invited to contribute to the process by sending a letter to the Commissioner's Office or by contacting the office directly at [email protected].

The consultation period will close on Friday 23 July, after which the Commissioner will revise these guidelines in light of the new submissions.

The final gidelines will be published through the website of the Standards Commissioner.