Back in December 2000, the NDP government was about to spend $500,000 on television ads promoting its health care reforms. The Liberal opposition leader, Gordon Campbell, in a December 15, news release, argued that the health ads were "a senseless waste of health resources" and labeled it a "propaganda campaign."

Seventeen months later, the Liberal government has now tendered contract proposals for its own propaganda campaign about its own health care reforms. The Liberals will claim they'll spend less every year (overall) than the NDP did on government ads. So How about zero tax dollars on non-essential ads

But the Liberal campaign does bring up another communications issue the Liberals have ignored so far, one even more costly than their proposed ads. Currently, with a brief run-through of the on-line BC Government Directory, it appears there are at least 240 government employees that do communications work (or support work in the communications) in provincial ministries. That number does not include ad costs, or communications staff working in independent government offices or Crown corporations.

The salaries paid to communications staff are between $40,000 and $70,000 plus benefits. Assume the average is $50,000 each including benefits. Thus, a conservative estimate of the cost of direct government communications staff is $12 million Canadian pesos.

Are some communications staff necessary Sure. But almost as many people work for Government Propaganda Inc. under the Liberals as under the NDP. Given that the new government deliberately lessened the daily propaganda paper blizzard that once emanated from Victoria, it's odd that nearly as many people are still in such work as were around last year. It's more odd since Premier Gordon Campbell once hinted that at least two-thirds of these positions could be cut.

So what are (some of) the communications staff doing Example A: Apparently writing nasty e-mails to CTF directors. One communications staffer from the Environmental Assessment Office wrote a few months back (from her government computer and on government, i.e. - taxpayer - time) to berate the Canadian Taxpayers Federation for pressing for smaller government. "You are full of crap" wrote the gentle e-mailer, who then proceeded to argue that if laid off, her entire life and self-worth would be shredded. Apparently, moving to the private sector or another province was a horror not to be contemplated.

The communications spinner then argued the NDP's decade of mismanagement and faulty economic views was actually quite balanced. Remember: this was a government communications staffer supposed to deliver the new government's positions in a non-partisan and neutral manner. Lotsa luck.

Example B: In the now-famous leak, Health Planning Minister Sindi Hawkins had her $10,000 Power Point contract to a former campaign staffer disclosed to the public and, apparently, courtesy of someone in her own ministry. That's quite fun for those of us on the outside of government; after all, the public would never find out about such things if bureaucrats didn't leak stuff. But the laudible leak highlighted the government's own mistrust of its communications staff and vice-verse.

So, the premier thinks that a new government that followed ten years of communications-crazed New Democrats doesn't need as many communications staff. And the government, by the actions of Ms. Hawkins, says it doesn't trust at least some of its communications staff. To top it off, the Liberals now plan to spend tax dollars selling their health care reforms. Besides that waste of money, the other obvious question for the Liberals is - what exactly is $12 million in taxpayers' money buying you