Committee of Supply 2023 debate, Day 3: Leon Perera on Government advertising and greenwashing
There is a legitimate public interest served in Government advertising that nudges citizens to do beneficial things like take up healthy habits or apply for a useful scheme. However, some advertising seems to be aimed more at fostering feel-good vibes towards an agency or even persuading the public to see the Government in a good light, said MP Leon Perera in Parliament on Tuesday (Feb 28). He gave the example of a recent ad on keeping HDB flats affordable and accessible. Mr Perera said political advertising should not be funded with public money and suggested that ads be run only when there is a measurable behavioural trade-off. He also called for the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice to explicitly cover greenwashing, with the Government developing legislation to clarify what that constitutes.
There is a legitimate public interest served in Government advertising that nudges citizens to do beneficial things like take up healthy habits or apply for a useful scheme. However, some advertising seems to be aimed more at fostering feel-good vibes towards an agency or even persuading the public to see the Government in a good light, said MP Leon Perera in Parliament on Tuesday (Feb 28). He gave the example of a recent ad on keeping HDB flats affordable and accessible. Mr Perera said political advertising should not be funded with public money and suggested that ads be run only when there is a measurable behavioural trade-off. He also called for the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice to explicitly cover greenwashing, with the Government developing legislation to clarify what that constitutes.
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