More than $3m spent on government merch, including condoms and lollies

The Albanese government has launched a clampdown on taxpayer-funded merchandise in a bid to rein in the millions of dollars spent on promotional knick-knacks.

Stress balls, condoms, lollies, tote bags, pens and beanies were among thousands of branded or promotional products bought by federal entities in the past financial year.

The total cost across a range of government departments, agencies, independent statutory authorities, regulators and other entities came in at more than $3.4 million.

But under a new edict that came into effect from July, the government has banned agencies from using taxpayer funds to purchase promotional merchandise unless they seek approval.

There are some exemptions, such as if items are sold for profit or if they are considered critical to the government's policy objectives.

The policy, which was part of this year's budget, mandates that agencies must also publicly report details of their merchandise spend in their annual reports.

"The Department of Finance has issued guidance to agencies to support implementation of the government's policy," a government spokesperson told the ABC.

What the departments spent

The Department of Defence was among the biggest spenders in 2025–26, putting more than $1.4 million towards merchandise, according to figures provided to the Senate.

This included gifts for foreign militaries and dignitaries, as well as items for recruitment activities, employment expos and base open days.

A Defence spokesperson said officials must ensure spending on merchandise represented an efficient, effective, economic and ethical use of public resources.

Another $383,000 was also spent at the health department, which included 40,000 condoms in an initiative aimed at preventing sexually transmitted infections.

It also purchased 7,000 campaign-branded "condom wallets".

Among the other items the department bought were 5,000 stress balls, 5,000 mints packs, and 220 yo-yos — all with anti-vaping messages.

A department spokesperson defended its spend on merchandise, saying it was procured in limited circumstances for public health campaigns or strategies.

"Evaluation of these campaigns consistently show they are highly engaging, are well recognised by their target audiences and meet the campaign objectives," they said.

"Merchandise plays an important role in this.

"When used, merchandise carries important health messages and information, such as vaccine schedules, reminders of the importance of STI testing and scheduling, and strategies to assist in how to quit vaping and smoking."

Fewer 'branded generic keepsakes'

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) also incurred $176,000 in merchandise costs last financial year, with most of it aimed at spruiking this year's census.

This included census-themed beanies, mini AFL footballs, socks, reusable shopping bags, pencils, pens and "I heart census" button badge pins.

An ABS spokesperson said its agency had not purchased any further promotional material since the government's new merchandise policy came into effect.

"Census merchandise was used at community events, information hubs, during remote community engagement activities and to support the enumeration of people experiencing homelessness," they said.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) spent more than $251,000, with a spokesperson saying it uses "standardised promotional material" for career expos and fairs.

The spokesperson also said it was "reasonable to expect" some of its reported expenditure on merchandise was used to purchase items from the AFP Legacy Shop.

"The AFP has formal governance on the acquisition of merchandise and has recently tightened this governance further to ensure a greater proportion of our merchandise has an educational element, rather than branded generic keepsakes," they said.