Almost every month the Brisbane City Council sends out a newsletter called ‘Living in Brisbane’.
Each flyer includes a picture of the LNP Mayor Adrian Schrinner on the front cover.
To design, print and distribute these flyers it costs ratepayers over $1.3 million per year, and about $130,000 every month it’s sent out.
A number of the March edition ‘Living in Brisbane’ newsletters were printed and ready to go out, but after the floods it’s understood the LNP Administration ordered a redesign and reprint to include a picture of the Lord Mayor with Mud Army volunteers and other flood related materials.
It’s understood that all copies of the unwanted March edition of the ‘Living in Brisbane’ were then disposed of.
With each edition of the’ Living in Brisbane’ costing residents over $130,000, it’s estimated that this is around the amount residents were charged to reprint this edition.
Labor Opposition Leader, Councillor Jared Cassidy as called this reprint a complete waste of residents money for political self-promotion.
“It’s one thing for Adrian Schrinner to continue promoting himself throughout a crisis at residents’ expense, but it’s another thing for him to double the advertising spend to use that crisis to his advantage,” Cr Cassidy said.
“Adrian Schrinner already had thousands of copies of his self-promotional Living in Brisbane newsletter printed and ready to go out, but decided to order a reprint, at residents’ expense, to include a photo of himself playing dress up in Khaki during the flood disaster.
“In the middle of a crisis, this LNP Mayor cut funding for grants to community facilities, but chose to increase his advertising budget. What an absolute slap in the face for flood-affected residents across this city.
“Sure, residents need to know what’s going on, but they don’t need the LNP Mayor hijacking a ratepayer funded newsletter for blatant self-promotion.
“The people of Brisbane are paying more and more in rates and getting less and less in return because Adrian Schrinner and the LNP are blowing their money on advertising themselves.”
