Qld: Treasurer takes 'dim view' of fake video
19 Jan 2009 4:28 PM
BRISBANE, Jan 19 AAP - Queensland Treasurer Andrew Fraser has criticised a move by Tourism Queensland to create a video which the government agency allowed to be passed off as a job competition entry.
Thousands of desperate job seekers have entered a competition to provide a 60-second video to become Hamilton Island's new caretaker, which has an annual salary of $150,000.
Among the videos entered is that of a woman visiting a tattoo parlour to have a 10cm tattoo spruiking her love for the Great Barrier Reef engraved on her arm.
Media outlets across the world reported the entry as legitimate.
But advertising and marketing internet blog Mumbrella said the video in fact featured Rhiannon Craig, a digital project manager at the Cummins Nitro agency in Brisbane, which created the job campaign, and the tattoo was a transfer.
Tourism Queensland confirmed to the Mumbrella website the video was a fake entry.
"It was supposed to show people the level of creativity we were looking for," Tourism Queensland said.
Mr Fraser told reporters in Brisbane on Monday he was not aware of the bogus entry, but thought it would be inappropriate for Tourism Queensland to plant it.
"Obviously what we've got is an exercise in them getting a lot of attention, that's certainly been achieved worldwide, but I'm not aware of this particular circumstance," Mr Fraser told reporters.
"If that was the case, then certainly I would have a dim view of that."
An announcement on the island job will be made on May 6 with the contract beginning on July 1.
Comment was being sought from Tourism Queensland.
