What are the laws about political advertising? Are ads at election time true, and what can we do if they're not?
Ballot box graphic
Parliamentary Education Office (peo.gov.au)
Ballot box graphic
Parliamentary Education Office (peo.gov.au)
Description
This graphic is a representation of a ballots being placed into a ballot boxes.
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Thanks for your question.
There are 2 main laws that cover political advertising in Australia; the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 and the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.
These laws relate to the access, timing, identification and authorisation of political advertising, rather than the content or opinions expressed in each advertisement.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority and the Australian Electoral Commission have responsibility for ensuring these laws are followed.
There is currently no legal requirement for the content of political advertisments to be factually correct.
If you are concerned about a poltical advertisement, you can contact the advertiser directly and/or your local member of Parliament.