Standards commissioner George Hyzler has published new guidelines to ensure government adverts and promotional material are factually correct. 

According to the guidelines, which were put up for public consultation in June, state adverts and promotional material produced by the government or public entities should not include partisan content. 

Pictures of ministers, or even their names featuring in government adverts, will see them fall foul of the new guidelines. 

Leaflets or other documents other than adverts and advertorials may include content that refers to the minister, as long as it is "strictly limited" and contributes to the legitimate purposes of the document. 

The standards commissioner said government-sponsored publications should indicate that they are publicly funded for the sake of transparency, and ministers should direct public funds to the media for advertising according to fair and objective criteria. 

These guidelines specify that they do not cover all situations that might arise, and matters not covered by the guidelines will continue to be governed by the ministerial code of ethics.

The advertising guidelines were drafted by the commissioner after he found that a €7,000 advertising campaign prominently featuring OPM minister Carmelo Abela did not contain any “information of value” to the public and was intended to boost the minister’s image.

No feedback from political parties

The commissioner said he did not receive any feedback from political parties or the government during the consultation period. 

These guidelines cover also people of trust as well as ministers, given that people of trust also fall under the commissioner’s jurisdiction.

The commissioner said people of trust act on behalf of ministers and can therefore take decisions on the production of government advertising and promotional material.