Susan (who requested The Narwhal not use her full name for privacy reasons) submitted an advertising standards complaint, thinking the Alberta Government would be held to account for what she believed were false statements.
“The ad says the pipeline will not increase oil production,” she wrote in her complaint. “But news articles show that pipeline availability is a factor in increasing oil production.”
She wasn’t wrong to be concerned about the accuracy of the statement, but it turns out the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards — including the important rules that ensure advertisements are accurate and not deceptive or misleading — don’t apply to advertising paid for by the government that is deemed to be about a “political issue.” #abpoli #ableg
https://thenarwhal.ca/how-alberta-is-getting-away-with-running-deceptive-ads-on-trans-mountain/