The West Australian government has pulled the plug on a $200,000 plan to send a float spruiking its flagship Metronet program down St Georges Terrace in this year’s annual Perth Christmas Pageant.
The Department of Transport issued a contract to Attadale-based brand agency Rubis Group on September 13 to prepare a float in the annual pageant organised by Seven West Media.
With details – and designs – for the Metronet float scarce, we turned to WAtoday’s graphic design department for ideas…Credit: WAtoday
According to the tender advertisement, the department proposed the float for the two-hour parade to celebrate “the positive impact” the Metronet juggernaut had across the metropolitan region.
The contract for the parade on December 7, almost exactly 12 weeks out from the 2025 election, was set to cost taxpayers more than $186,300.
But when approached by this masthead, a state government spokesperson said the proposal was no longer proceeding. They would not be drawn on what had led to the decision.
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Opposition spokesman Tjorn Sibma branded the plan “tone-deaf” and “frivolous” and said the money could have been better spent elsewhere, particularly while the state was in the throes of a cost-of-living crisis.
“I think that is an obscene amount of money to be wasting on what is essentially government propaganda for a one-off event,” he said.
“No one is going to begrudge the Christmas Pageant, and I think the government should support it, but I don’t think using it as an opportunity for political promotion in the lead up to an election is particularly noble.
