$53k Government Blogs Questioned

Running a blog for most Australians is free and easy. For the Gillard administration, however, the government has to spend some $53,000 for two blogs that have been set up online in the last three months. 

These blogs featured articles on Australian relations with Asia. And based on the public’s reaction, taxpayers are not willing to pay for this expense. 

These blogs hardly have any movement and reaction, in spite being open to public, where an online conversation is encouraged. There is only one comment in one of the two blogs, while the other has comments disabled. 

The blogs also feature a Facebook add-on ‘Like’ button. On average, however, it has gathered up to five ‘likes’ only in its most popular posts. 

The blogs’ names are Lowy Institute and The Australia Institute of International Affairs. 

Since going live last March, one of the blogs was able to hold a contest and has come up with 10 articles so far. 

According to reports, there is a full-time editor and assistant to run the blog. Its personnel are outsourced from the private sector. 

The Lowy Institute’s personnel have a $33,000 contract while the person handling The Australian Institute of International Affairs has a $20,000 contract. They are tasked to post links to websites and short articles and clips. 

Liberals call the blogs an ‘extraordinary expenditure with lackluster results.” Without additional input from the contractors, there really is no community engagement and some senators are questioning the logic to this.