Clive Palmer’s party spent nearly $1.5m on election eve online ads amid blackout

Political parties poured millions into advertising on Google and Facebook until polling day as blackout laws only cover broadcast media

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Clive Palmer's United Australia party spent nearly $1.5m on Google advertising on the last day of the election alone, as political parties poured millions into social media posts in the dying days of the federal campaign despite the advertising blackout" period.

Facebook ad data showed the Labor party vastly outspent the Liberals in the final weeks of the campaign, with the new government pouring five times more cash into boosting posts on the social media platform than its opponent.

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