The Canberra Liberals have fired the opening salvo this evening in their 2012 territory election campaign.
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The party aired an unprecedented two-minute TV attack ad during WIN TV’s early evening news bulletin after buying the program’s entire first advertising break at a cost thought to about $2000.
The documentary-style advert draws heavily on reporting by The Canberra Times over several years and re-runs most of the Liberals’ criticism of Chief Minister Katy Gallagher’s performance in the health portfolio and makes no mention of the Canberra Liberals.
The new ad is a radical departure from the short attack ads heavily deployed by the opposition in its failed 2008 campaign but is unlikely to be widely used as the campaign develops.
A Liberal campaign spokesman said the advert would be the “start of a conversation” with the electorate.
"This is a first of its kind for the ACT,” he said.
“The aim of the piece is to remind voters of the record of Katy Gallagher and Labor over the last 11 years.
“It is the starting point of a conversation with the community about the choice that is before them in October: after 11 years, do they want change or more of the same?"
