Tracking Abbott’s Wreckage: “December Update”
Tony Abbott has been in power since 7 September 2013. From that
moment, he and his government have broken promises and hurt Australians.
This post will be regularly updated to keep track of the Abbott
Government’s broken promises and everything his Government does to hurt
Australians. Each separate item will have a link to a source. Broken promises appear in bold and in a separate fully referenced list at the end.
Sally McManus is the Secretary of the Australian Services Union in NSW and the ACT.
She has been a campaigner and an organiser for more than 20
years and spent a lot of time doing and talking about organising and
campaigning. Her blog is a comprehensive list of policy and other
decisions taken by the Abbott Government. I cannot vouch for the
veracity of the entire list, nor do I necessarily agree with everyone
(although I have no reason to doubt them) but I recommend the list to
those with an interest in how Tony Abbott is changing Australia.
THE LIST
410. Votes against a UN resolution calling for the end of the Israeli occupation of Palestine – 31 December 2014
409. Spends millions on market research and TV advertisements promoting their proposal to uncap university fees – 28 December 2014
408. Slashes funding to community organisations that support tens of
thousands of vulnerable families and people in crisis causing 2500
community workers to lose their jobs two days before Christmas - 22 December 2014
407. Defunds peak organisations who advocate for the poor and
oppressed including Homelessness Australia, Financial Counselling
Australia and National Shelter – 22 December 2014
406. Appoints a climate skeptic who praised Rupert Murdoch as the
“starting point for green innovation” to the position of parliamentary
secretary to the minister of the environment – 21 December 2014
405. Backflips on clamping down on multinational companies who shift profits to avoid paying taxes in Australia – 17 December 2014
404. Blows out the deficit to $40.4 Billion – 15 December 2014
403. Abolishes the Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency – 15 December 2015
402. Ceases payments to apprentices under Support for Adult Australian Apprenticeships program – 15 December 2014
401. Cuts funding for the National Trade Cadetships programme – 15 December 2014
400. Slashes another $3.7 billion from overseas aid – 15 December 2014
399. Cuts 26 more government bodies down to 6 – 15 December 2014
398. Abolishes the Operational Working Party which advises government on the needs of the ex-service community – 15 December 2014
397.Cancels the National Health, Aged and Community Care Forum – 15 December 2014
396. Abolishes the Current and Former Members of the ADF Emerging Issues Forum – 15 December 2014
395. Abolishes the Australian Financial Centre Taskforce – 15 December 2014
394. Silences the National Injury Insurance Scheme Advisory Group – 15 December 2014
393. Abolishes the National Children and Family Roundtable – 15 December 2014
392. Silences the Minister’s Dementia Advisory Group – 15 December 2014
391. Cancels the Healthy Life Better Ageing Committee – 15 December 2014
390. Annuls the Aged Care Reform Implementation Council – 15 December 2014
389. Cancels the Aged Care Planning Advisory Committee – 15 December 2014
388. Abolishes the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency Ltd – 15 December 2014
387. Cancels the Indigenous Development effectiveness Initiative Steering Committee – 15 December 2014
386. Abolishes the First Peoples Education Advisory Group – 15 December 2014
385. Cancels the Australia in the Asian Century Advisory Board – 15 December 2014
384. Annuls the Regional Australia Standing Council – 15 December 2014
383. Dismantles the Northern Australia Ministerial Forum – 15 December 2014
382. Abolishes the Marine Council – 15 December 2014
381. Terminates the Expert Advisory Panel on Northern Australia – 15 December 2014
380. Silences the Northern Australia Indigenous Experts Forum on sustainable Economic Development – 15 December 2014
379. Annuls the Infrastructure Coordinator – 15 December 2014
378. Abolishes the Technical Advisory Committee for the Coal Mining Abatement Technology Support Package – 15 December 2014
377. Abolishes the Gas Market – Industry Reference Group – 15 December 2014
376. Disbands the Department of Human Services Council on Strategy and Innovation – 15 December 2014
375. Disbands the Anti-Doping Research Panel – 15 December 2014
374. Abolishes the Tourism Quality Council of Australia – 15 December 2014
373. Disbands the Australia Awards Board – 15 December 2014
372. Abolishes the National Marine Mammal Scientific Committee – 15 December 2014
371. Disbands the National Marine Mammal Advisory Committee – 15 December 2014
370. Abolishes the National Landscapes Reference Committee – 15 December 2014
369. Gets rid of the Indigenous Water Advisory Committee – 15 December 2014
368. Disbands the Iconic Sites Taskforce – 15 December 2014
367. Abolishes the Fuel Standards Consultative Committee – 15 December 2014
366. Abolishes the Emissions Intensive – Trade Exposed Expert Advisory Committee - 15 December 2014
365. Disbands the Commonwealth Environmental Water Stakeholder Reference Panel – 15 December 2014
364. Abolishes the COAG Standing Council on Environment and Water – 15 December 2014
363. Abolishes the Bureau of Meteorology Water Accounting Standards Board – 15 December 2014
362. Abolishes the Antarctic Science Advisory Committee – 15 December 2014
361. Cancels the COAG Select Council on Workplace Relations – 15 December 2014
360. Wipes out the Education Investment Fund Advisory Board – 15 December 2014
359. Dismantles the Australian Qualifications Framework Council – 15 December 2014
358. Abolishes the Strategic Cross-sectoral Data Committee for Early Childhood, Education and Training – 15 December 2014
357. Dismantles the Vietnam Veterans Education Centre – 15 December 2014
356. Abolishes the research working group – 15 December 2014
355. Abolishes the Peacekeepers Study Advisory Committee – 15 December 2014
354. Abolishes the Medicines Advice and Therapeutics Education Services Writing Group – 15 December 2014
353. Abolishes the Medicines Advice and Therapeutics Education Services Veterans Reference Group – 15 December 2014
352. Abolishes the Medicines Advice and Therapeutics Education Services Practitioner Reference Group – 15 December 2014
351. Abolishes the Gulf War Study Advisory Committee – 15 December 2014
350. Abolishes the eHealth Technical Advisory Group – 15 December 2014
349. Abolishes the Community Nursing Clinical Advisory Committee – 15 December 2014
348. Abolishes the Australian National Memorial New Zealand Advisory Panel – 15 December 2014
347. Abolishes the Anzac Centenary Public Fund Board – 15 December 2014
346. Abolishes the Official Establishments Trust – 15 December 2014
345. Abolishes the Australian Council of Local Government – 15 December 2014
344. Abolishes the Urban Policy Forum – 15 December 2014
343. Abolishes the National Disaster Recovery Taskforce – 15 December 2014
342. Abolishes the Local Government Ministers’ Forum – 15 December 2014
341. Abolishes the Inter-Jurisdictional Working Group – 15 December 2014
340. Abolishes the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics Advisory Board – 15 December 2014
339. Abolishes the Pharmaceutical Industry Working Group – 15 December 2014
338. Abolishes the National Precincts Board – 15 December 2014
337. Abolishes the Fair Work Building and Construction Independent Assessor – 15 December 2014
336. Abolishes the Standing Council on School Education and Early
Childhood Joint Working Group to Provide Advice on Students with
Disability – 15 December 2014
335. Abolishes the Department of Defence CEO’s round table – 15 December 2014
334. Abolishes the Committee which was overseeing reform to the repair and maintenance of the Navy’s ships – 15 December 2014
333. Abolishes the Department of Defence Diversity Advisory Group – 15 December 2014
332. Abolishes the Australian Defence Force Financial Services Consumer Council – 15 December 2014
331. Abolishes the Subcommittee on Animal Health Laboratory Standards – 15 December 2014
330. Abolishes the Rabies Preparedness Working Group – 15 December 2014
329. Abolishes the New Test Evaluation Working Group – 15 December 2014
328. Abolishes the National Strategies Working Group – 15 December 2014
327. Abolishes the Laboratories for Emergency Animal Disease Diagnosis and Response Working Group – 15 December 2014
326. Abolishes the National Surveillance and Diagnostics Working Group – 15 December 2014
325. Abolishes the Forestry and Forest Products Committee – 15 December 2014
324. Abolishes the Department of Agriculture – Live Animal Export Division – Industry Government Implementation Group – 15 December 2014
323. Abolishes the Benchmarks Working Group which monitors acute hospital performance – 15 December 2014
322. Abolishes the Australian and New Zealand Standard Diagnostic Procedures Working Group – 15 December 2014
321. Abolishes the Artbank Advisory Committee – 15 December 2014
320. Cuts the Development Allowance Authority – 15 December 2014
319. Cuts the Reconstruction Inspectorate – 15 December 2014
318. Cuts the Inspector of Transport Security – 15 December 2014
317. Cuts the National Advisory for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment – 15 December 2014
316. Cuts the Health and Hospitals Fund Advisory Board – 15 December 2014
315. Cuts the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Advisory Board – 15 December 2014
314. Cuts the Climate Adaptation Outlook Independent Expert Group – 15 December 2014
313. Cuts the Biological Diversity Advisory Committee – 15 December 2014
312. Cuts the Australian Antarctic Names and Medals Committee – 15 December 2014
311. Cuts the Antarctic Research Assessment Committee – 15 December 2014
310. Cuts the Forces Entertainment Board – 15 December 2014
309. Cut the Protection Zone Committees – 15 December 2015
308. Cuts the Telework Advisory Panel – 15 December 2014
307. Cuts the Australian Government Solicitor – 15 December 2014
306. Appoints the radically right wing John Lloyd from the Institute of Public Affairs to head the Public Service Commission – 12 December 2014
305. Appoints a former National Party MP who champions an abstinence
policy on drugs over harm minimisation to be the new head of the
Australian National Council on Drugs – 11 December 2014
304. Imposes a $900 tax on new homes connecting to the NBN breaking election promises on taxes – 11 December 2014
303. The unemployment rate hits 6.3 %, it has not been this high
since 2002 when Tony Abbott was Minister for Employment and Industrial
Relations – 11 December 2014
302. Cuts the Medicare rebate to doctors by $5 after he fails to get his $7 Medicare co-payment through the Senate – 9 December 2014
301. Breaks an election promise to improve transparency by
restricting the transparency of overseas travel expenses after media
reports on Christopher Pyne’s lavish trip to Europe with his wife – 9 December 2014
300. Breaks a key election promise to bring in 26 weeks parental leave paid at a working mother’s actual wage – 7 December 2014
299. Introduces special work for the dole rules for regional and
remote unemployed people so they have to work twice as many hours as
city people in a measure that will mainly affect indigenous people – 6 December 2014
298. Hands the immigration minister unchecked and unappealable powers
to prevent refugees arriving by boat from seeking protection and allows
him to return people to the country from which they fled – 4 December 2014
297. Reintroduces temporary protection visas for asylum seekers found to be refugees – 4 December 2014
296. Cuts CSIRO funding, which means that CSIRO will lose 1/5 of its workforce - 24 November, 2014
295. Slashes funding to the ABC and SBS resulting in job cuts
and the axing of programs including state based 7:30 Report and
breaking an election promise – 19 November, 2014
294. Refuses to contribute to the fund Green Climate Fund, which
Abbott last year described as “socialism masquerading as
environmentalism” – 17 November, 2014
293. Uses G20 platform to comment on domestic political issues such
as the fact people don’t like his $7 GP fee rather than international
political issues – 15 November, 2014
292. Describes Australia as “nothing but bush” prior to the arrival
of the First Fleet when addressing a breakfast for British Prime
Minister, David Cameron – 14 November 2014
291. Breaks promise to achieve a surplus in the Government’s first year in office, instead overseeing an estimated $51 billion deterioration in revenue – 11 November, 2014
290. Describes coal as “good for humanity” while opening a coal mine in Queensland 13 October, 2014
289. Extends the Royal Commission into Trade Unions for another 12
months and expands the terms of reference despite their being no
requests for either – 09 October, 2014
288. Cuts spending on science and innovation to the lowest levels since the data was first published - 07 October, 2014
287. Spends an estimated $500 million yearly participating in the conflict in the Middle East – 07 October, 2014
286. Limits scrutiny of ASIO, expands protections from prosecution
for ASIO officers, and allows ASIO greater powers for surveillance with
reduced requirements for warrants – 30 September, 2014
285. Signs a deal with Cambodia to accept Australia’s refugees for a payment of $40 million over 4 years – 26 September, 2014
284. Breaks an election promise
to a publish a proposal for constitutional recognition for Indigenous
people and establish a bipartisan process to try to bring about
recognition as soon as possible within the first 12 months of Government
– 19 September 2014.
283. Breaks election promise to build replacement submarines in South Australian shipyards, spending more than $20 billion on Japanese submarines instead – 8 September, 2014
282. Fails to provide adequate medical care to asylum seeker Hamid
Kehazaei who died after developing an infection from a cut on his foot –
5 September 2014
281. Delays superannuation increases for seven years costing workers thousands of dollars in retirement savings – 2 September 2014
280. Kills the Low Income Super Contribution
payment and the Superannuation Guarantee which aimed to boost the
retirement savings of 3.6 million workers who earn $37,000 per year or
less – 2 September 2014
279. Repeals the mining tax on the profits of big coal and iron ore companies – 2 September 2014
278. Bans secular workers from the school chaplaincy program – 27 August 2014
277. Refuses temporary visitors visas for Sri Lankan trade unionists
to attend a union conference in Australia because they “do not have
enough personal wealth” – 25 August 2014
276. Unemployment hits highest level in 12 years – 7 August 2014
275. Breaks an election promise to amend the race hate laws – 6 August 2014
274. Directs all government departments to disclose every contact
with every union for any reason over the last decade to the Royal
Commission – 28 July 2014
273. Allows the suspension of payments to parents whose children do not attend school in the Northern Territory – 19 July 2014
272. Axes the carbon tax with no viable policy to address climate change or Australia’s emission targets – 17 July, 2014
271. Risks up to $1 billion in revenue through job cuts at the ATO – July 15, 2014
270. Cuts all funding to Vibe Australia, the Indigenous organisation responsible for creating and producing the Deadly Awards, Deadly Vibe and InVibe magazines, Deadly Sounds radio, Move It Mob Style TV and deadlyvibe.com.au – July 14, 2014
269. Detains 153 asylum seekers at sea on board a customs ship for a
month, despite questions about the legality of this action – July 12, 2014
268. Offends China and many Australians by praising the “skill and
honour” of Japanese soliders who killed 22 000 Australians and hundreds
of thousands of Chinese during World War II – 9 July 2014
267. Hands over 41 Sri Lankan asylum seekers to the custody of Sri Lankan authorities after screening them at sea and transferring them while still on the water – 07 July, 2014
266. Creates a strategic communications branch employing 37 people
and costing $4.7 million each year, to oversee communications in the
department of Prime Minister and Cabinet despite saying at the 2013 launch of the Liberal Party’s book on ALP waste, that they would spend less on spin than the previous government – July 05, 2014
265. Describes Australia as ‘unsettled’ before the British arrived,
during an address to the Australia-Melbourne Institute Conference – 04 July, 2014
264. Grants the Immigration Minister power over the granting of
permanent residence allowing him to personally decide the conditions of
the test and his decisions will not be subject to appeal – 03 July, 2014
263. Breaks a promise not to grant permanent permanent residency to people arriving by boat by granting a visa to a least one refugee – 03 July, 2014
262. Prohibits Community Legal Centres from using Government funding to advocate for policy or law reform – 02 July, 2014
261. Appoints a former Liberal MP and a conservative columnist and
vocal opponent of the ABC to the ABC and SBS appointments panel – 02 July, 2014
260. Strikes out protections for consumers of financial advice before
the report into the Commonwealth Bank of Australia financial planning
scandal is tabled, which recommends a Royal Commission into the bank to
investigate allegations of fraud, forgery and a management cover-up – 01 July, 2014
259. Refuses to confirm the existence of two boatloads of refugees
reported to be currently on board customs vessels. The Government previously denied the vessels were in trouble and refuses to comment on whether the refugees will be landing in Australia – 30 June, 2014
258. Revokes the residential determination of two asylum seekers from
Vietnam currently in high school in Adelaide and removes them to a
detention centre, resulting in up to 7 other children, also in school,
running away for fear of the same fate – 28 June, 2014
257. Cuts Dementia and Severe Behaviours Supplement, a payment to
those who provide care for people with severe behavioural and
psychological symptoms of dementia – 26 June, 2014
256. Breaks promise that no public servants will be forced
into redundancy as it is revealed that staff in Treasury in Finance will
be made involuntarily redundant – 24 June, 2014
255. Seeks to reintroduce Temporary Protection Visas after the High
Court strikes down the Government’s attempt to limit the number of
permanent visas available each year – 22 June 2014.
254. Refuses to halt return of refugees to war-torn Iraq – 18 June, 2014
253. Abandons the long-held, bipartisan position of referring to Palestinian land captured in 1967 as occupied – 06 June, 2014
252. Abolishes the Corporations and Markets Advisory Committee, which
has, for 25 years, investigated gaps in Australia’s corporate and
financial markets law and recommended ways to close them – 05 June, 2014
251. Excludes Australian shipyards from a major new contract, sending jobs offshore and threatening the industry in Australia – 05 June, 2014
250. Cuts funding to the peak refugee organisation the Refugee Council of Australia – 30 May 2014
249. Takes money from the Royal Commission into Institutional
Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and gives it to the Royal Commission
into the Home Insulation Scheme – 28 May 2014
248. Breaks promise that no public servants will be forced
into redundancy after revelations that public servants in the Department
of Industry have been made involuntarily redundant – 19 May 2014
247. Scraps the National Water Commission – 13 May, 2014
246. Abolishes funding for Building Australia’s Future Workforce – 13 May, 2014
245. Abolishes the Get Reading Programme – 13 May, 2014
244. Scraps the annual subsidy to local ethanol producers – 13 May 2014
243. Slashes the Biodiversity Fund – 13 May, 2014
242. Cuts the Education Department’s Online Diagnostic Tools Programme – 13 May, 2014
241. Abolishes the Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and
Transplantation Authority which was established to encourage organ
donation – 13 May, 2014
240. Introduces annual reviews for veterans receiving military compensation payments due to illness or injury – 13 May, 2014
239. Terminates the Office of Water Science research programme – 13 May, 2014
238. Abolishes the Commonwealth Human Rights Education Grant – 13 May 2014
237. Abolishes funding to the Exotic Disease Preparedness Programme – 13 May 2014
236. Slashes funding from the Indigenous Health Budget – 13 May 2014
235. Cuts funding for Indigenous language support – 13 May 2014
234. Cuts funding to the Torres Strait Regional Authority – 13 May 2014
233. Abolishes the Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, the only elected representative body for Indigenous Australians - 13 May 2014
232. Breaks election promise and slashes funding to Landcare – 13 May 2014
231. Abolishes the National Rental Affordability Scheme – 13 May 2014
230. Cuts funding from the corporate regulator ASIC which oversees the financial sector – 13 May 2014
229. Axes the first home buyers savings scheme – 13 May 2014
228. Reduces funding to the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency – 13 May 2014
227. Abolishes the Improving Educational Outcomes Programme – 13 May 2014
226. Cuts funding to the Child Care Early Learning Projects and the
Professional Support Program which assist childcare workers gain skills
– 13 May 2014
225. Reduces funding to the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership – 13 May 2014
224. Cut the Research Training Scheme, with tertiary education
providers to introduce student contributions for higher degrees – 13 May 2014
223. Ends the development of the Australian Baccalaureate – 13 May 2014
222. Cuts higher education reward funding – 13 May 2014
221. Cuts the Australian National University’s HC Coombs Policy Forum – 13 May 2014
220. Cuts Australian Research Council funding – 13 May 2014
219. Abolishes tax break for mature age workers and replaces it with a
payment for employing people over 50 who have been on Newstart or the
DSP for more than 6 months – 13 May 2014
218. Cuts an incentive program for graduates to take up work in regional locations of need – 13 May 2014
217. Axes the National Partnership Agreement on Certain Concessions
for Pensioners and Seniors Card Holders which supports state and
territory concessions for senior citizens including energy rebates. – 13 May 2014
216. Kills off four grant programmes including the the Australian
Community Food Safety Campaign and Outreach Support Services for
Criminalised Women – 13 May 2014
215. Cuts $2.3 million in contribution to the World Health Organisation – 13 May 2014
214. Abolishes the Australian Interactive Games Fund which helped support local video game developers – 13 May 2014
213. Breaks a promise not to cuts funding to health by dramatically cutting hospital funding – 13 May 2014
212. Cuts $240 million over four years to community programs that support poor, sick or disadvantaged people – 13 May 2014
211. Cuts $25 million over 4 years (a quarter of the total) funding
to Community Legal Centres who provide legal support to the poor and
disadvantaged – 13 May 2014
210. Cuts the Women in Leadership program – 13 May 2014
209. Breaks a promise to have one million more solar roofs across Australia and at least 25 solar towns – 13 May 2014
208. Breaks a promise to spend $2.55 billion Emissions Reduction Fund by committing less than half this amount in the budget – 13 May 2014
207. Orders the spending of $11.7 million to plan the privatisation
of: Defence Housing Australia, the Royal Australian Mint and the
registry function of the Australian Securities and Investments
Commission – 13 May 2014
206. Announces 3000 job loses at the Australian Tax Office – 13 May 2014
205. Freezes the Family Tax Benefit A at a set income level regardless of the number of children – 13 May 2014
204. Cuts the Family Tax Benefit B end-of-year supplement by 15% – 13 May 2014
203. Reduces funding for the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation – 13 May 2014
202. Reduces funding to the Australian Institute for Marine Science – 13 May 2014
201. Scraps a range of grant programs aimed at funding innovation and
start-up businesses, including: Australian Industry Participation;
Commercialisation Australia; Enterprise Solutions; Innovation Investment
Fund; Industry Innovation Councils; Enterprise Connect; Industry
Innovation Precincts; and Textile, Clothing and Footwear Small Business
and Building Innovative Capability – 13 May 2014
200. Rips a further $111.4 million over four years out of the operating budget of the CSIRO – 13 May 2014
199. Ceases funding for National ICT Australia, which is a research centre for communications and information technology – 13 May 2014
198. Abolishes Medicare locals – 13 May 2014
197. Reduces payments to people under 35 with a disability who cannot
find employment if they could work more than eight hours a week – 13 May 2014
196. Mandates religious education in schools by taking away the option for schools to opt for a secular social worker instead – 13 May 2014
195. Abolishes the ABC’s disability communities website Ramp Up – 13 May 2014
194. Abolishes the Disability Discrimination Commissioner – 13 May 2014
193. Abolishes the Better Schools Centre for Quality Teaching and Learning – 13 May 2014
192. Dismantles the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and
will establish a health productivity and performance commission – 13 May 2014
191. Abolishes the Seniors Supplement – 13 May 2014
190. Axes the tax break for people with dependent spouses – 13 May 2014
189. Axes the Diagnostic Imaging Quality Programme – 13 May 2014
188. Ceases the Dental Flexible Grants Program – 13 May 2014
187. Axes the Charles Sturt University’s dental and oral health clinics – 13 May 2014
186. Axes funding for the nursing and allied health scholarships in Tasmania – 13 May 2014
185. Defers 13 Partners in Recovery programs which help people with
severe and persistent mental illness and complex support needs – 13 May 2014
184. Cuts funding to the National Anti-Tobacco Campaign – 13 May 2014
183. Cuts Australia’s Animal Welfare Strategy – 13 May 2014
182. Abolishes Health Workforce Australia and cuts the expansion of the Clinical Training Funding Program – 13 May 2014
181. Axes the National Partnership Agreement on Preventive Health – 13 May 2014
180. Defers the National Partnership Agreement for adult public dental services until July 2015 – 13 May 2014
179. Reduces the Medicare benefit for optometry services and allows optometrists to charge more – 13 May 2014
178. Abolishes the GP Education and Training Limited and ceasing the Pre-vocational GP Placements Scheme – 13 May 2014
177. Axes industry and community clean energy programs include the
Low Emissions Technology Demonstration Fund, the National Low Emission
Coal Initiative, Energy Efficiency Programmes, the National Solar
Schools Plan, Energy Efficiency Information Grants and Low Carbon
Communities – 13 May 2014
176. Scraps The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)
which was set up to support new and emerging renewable technologies and
in doing so breaks an election promise – 13 May 2014
175. Scraps the Housing Help for Seniors scheme which provided assistance to older Australians – 13 May 2014
174. Pulls $2.5 billion from aged care, including $1.7 billion from home based support such as Meals on Wheels – 13 May 2014
173. Cuts the benefit for unemployed people under 25 by moving them onto the Youth Allowance – 13 May 2014
172. Kills off the Gonski school funding vision by cutting future funding by $30 billion – 13 May 2014
171. Reduces Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme safety nets – 13 May 2014
170. Breaks a promise to make no cuts to health with a $368 million cut from preventative health measures – 13 May 2014
169. Cuts the Family Tax Benefit A end-of-year supplement by 17% – 13 May 2014
168. Increases the fuel excise twice a year by indexing it to CPI – 13 May 2014
167. Forces students to repay their debt earlier by lowering the wage they need to earn before payments kick in – 13 May 2014
166. Increases debt for students by increasing the interest on their fees – 13 May 2014
165. Makes it harder for retirees to access the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card – 13 May 2014
164. Guts the Australia Council and Screen Australia by cutting $87 million for the Arts – 13 May 2014
163. Forces people under 30 to work for the dole if they want to
receive any financial support after a waiting period of six months with
no financial support – 13 May 2014
162. Imposes a six month wait for people under 30s to receive unemployment benefits – 13 May 2014
161. Cuts the Family Tax Benefit Part B – 13 May 2014
160. Cuts the old age pension by indexing it to CPI instead of wages – 13 May 2014
159. Increases the pension age to 70 from 2035 – 13 May 2014
158. Imposes a $5 increase on the cost of all medicines available
under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (80c for concession card
holders) – 13 May 2014
157. Cuts the ‘Tools for the Trade’ program which helped apprentices
buy their tools, and replacing it with a loan scheme apprentices will
have to repay – 13 May 2014
156. Caps the amount of money workers can recoup in entitlements if their employer becomes insolvent or bankrupt to 16 weeks – 13 May 2014
155. Breaks a promise to only cut the foreign aid budget by $4.5 billion and cuts it by $7.9 billion instead – 13 May 2014
154. Axes funding to the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition, the national peak body for young people- 13 May 2014
153. Slashes Disability Support Pensions by indexing to inflation – 13 May 2014
152. Abolishes the highly successful Youth Connections program that
supports young people who have not completed, or are at risk of not
completing Year 12 or equivalent qualifications also costing hundreds of
community sector jobs – 13 May 2014
151. Breaks a promise of “no new taxes” by introducing a fuel levy – 13 May 2014
150. Announces the sacking of 16,500 public sector workers as
whole Departments are abolished despite promising only 12,000 job
losses – 13 May 2014
149. Cuts $500 million from indigenous programs over five years – 13 May 2014
148. Breaks a promise of “no new taxes” by introducing a
deficit tax rise of two percentage points for people earning more than
$180,000 a year – 13 May 2014
147. Scrapping a net $1.2 billion in tuition subsidies for universities – 13 May 2014
146. Scraps the Australia Network, Australia’s international
television service broadcast across our region that provides news and
current affairs from an Australian perspective – 13 May 2014
145. Breaks promise of “no cuts to the ABC or SBS” by cutting $43.5 million from the ABC and SBS – 13 May 2014
144. Tried to undermine Medicare by announcing a $7 fee increase for GP visits – 13 May 2014
143. Tears up the Federal Government’s agreement with states and territories to help fund increasing health costs – 13 May 2014
142. Tries to abolish caps on university fees, meaning universities will be able to charge whatever they like for degrees – 13 May 2014
141. Abolishes the COAG Reform Council — which provides information
to Governments so they can track the performance of their programs – 13 May 2014
140. Sacks the National People with Disability and Carers Council — which pushed for and then helped build the NDIS – 13 May 2014
139. Releases the Commission of Audit report which recommends savage
budget cuts that would negatively affect every Australian – 1 May 2014
138. Breaks a promise to introduce the paid parental leave scheme he took to the election – 30 April 2014
137. Spends $12.4 billion on new fighter jets whilst claiming a
budget “emergency” and preparing to make big cuts to health and welfare
– 23 April 2014
136. Abolishes the research and development tax incentives board – 11 April 2014
135. Begins dismantling GP Super clinics – 8 April 2014
134. Cuts 480 jobs from the Environment Department who are
responsible for protecting places such as Kakadu, Antarctica and the
Great Barrier Reef – 7 April 2014
133. Forbids public servants from making political comments online,
even anonymously, and instructs them to report on colleagues who do – 6 April 2014
132. Establishes a secret, publicly funded “hit squad” to target
political opponents led by the man who provided a “chaff bag” for Alan
Jones to auction at a Young Liberal fundraiser – 1 April 2014
131. Imposes fees and charges on people who become bankrupt – 1 April 2014
130. Axes free legal assistance for asylum seekers – 31 March 2014
129. Attempts to defund Ethical Clothing Australia that worked with
industry to protect outworkers in the textile and clothing industry from
exploitation and abandons the Governments ethical procurement
guidelines – 30 March 2014
128. Opposes a UN resolution to conduct war crimes inquiry in Sri Lanka – 28 March 2014
127. Closes all Medicare offices on Saturdays – 26 March 2014
126. Brings back the awards of knights and dames which were abolished in 1986 – 25 March 2014
125. Cuts 400 jobs from the industry department – 25 March 2014
124. Ensures a human rights enquiry into the Manus Island detention
centre is shut down and human rights lawyers are denied access to the
centre – 23 March 2014
123. Abolishes one third of the jobs in Treasury costing approximately 300 jobs – 21 March 2014
122. Cuts welfare payments to orphans of soldiers – 16 March 2014
121. Moves to deny funding to artists or events that refuse corporate sponsorship for ethical reasons – 15 March 2014
120. Cuts hundreds of jobs at the CSIRO – 14 March 2014
119. Reopens 457 visa loophole to allow employers to hire an unlimited number of workers without scrutiny – 12 March 2014
118. Overturns a ban on cattle grazing in the Victorian Alpine National Park – 6 March 2014
117. Frustrated and defeated an attempt at the UN to highlight the humanitarian consequences of nuclear war – 5 March 2014
116. Axes funding earmarked to save the Sumatran rhinoceros from extinction – 28 February 2014
115. Introduces legislation to allow people aged between 17-24 years
old to work for half the minimum wage and be exempted from all other
work rights including health and safety laws and protections should they
be injured at work – 26 February 2014
114. Axes funding to Aboriginal Early Childhood Support and Learning
Incorporated, the only Indigenous peak body advising on early childhood
issues for Indigenous people in NSW – 25 February, 2014
113. Misleads the Australian public about what occurred on Manus
Island when asylum seekers were attacked killing one person and injuring
seventy-seven. Once the information was known to be untrue, waited five
days to correct the record – 25 February 2014
112. Contravenes 113 years of established practice by moving to
release the previous Government’s confidential cabinet papers to the
Royal Commission into the Pink Batts scheme – 22 February 2014
111. Scraps food grants program for small farmers – 21 February 2014
110. Pressured SPC Ardmona to cut the pay and conditions for workers in return for Government money – 20 February 2014
109. Blames carbon pricing for the close of Alcoa smelters and
rolling mills and the loss of nearly 1000 jobs, despite the fact the
company states it had no bearing on their decision – 19 February 2014
108. Breaches the privacy and puts in danger around 10, 000 asylum
seekers and their families by releasing their personal details on the
Department of Immigration website – 19 February 2014
107. Fails to ensure the safety of asylum seekers in our care on
Manus Island who were subjected to a vicious attack, which left one
person dead and seventy-seven seriously injured – 18 February 2014
106. Reverses the previous government’s decision to care for refugee
children who are without an adult family member (ie unaccompanied
minors) in the community and sends them to detention centres in Nauru – 17 February 2014
105. Removes poverty reduction from the goals of the foreign affairs budget –February 17, 2014
104. Appoints a climate change skeptic to head a review of our renewable energy target – 17 February 2014
103. Pays hundreds of indigenous workers in his Department up to $19
000 less than non-indigenous workers doing the same job and cuts the
budget for the representative body the National Congress of Australia’s
First Peoples causing two-thirds of the staff to lose their jobs – 15 February 2014
102. Breaks a promise to provide fibre-to-the-premises for all Tasmanians for the National Broadband Network – 13 February 2014
101. Unemployment rate jumps to highest in more than 10 years – 13 February 2014
100. Lies to the Australian public about the reasons Toyota gave for
their decision to close in order to blame the workers and their union – 12 February 2014
99. Takes down a website providing information to the Australian
public on the ingredients and nutritional content of foods. It is later revealed that the person in the Minister’s office who gave this directive is married to a lobbyist from the junk food industry and was still a share holder in their lobbying company – 11 February 2014
98. Destroys the Australian car manufacturing industry by refusing to
provide any industry assistance leading to the decision of Toyota to
shut costing up to 30 000 jobs – 10 February 2014
97. Launches a Royal Commission into unions – 10 February 2014
96. Attempts to reintroduce temporary visas for asylum seekers found
to be fleeing persecution preventing them ever settling in Australia and
retrospectively applies them to 20 000 people. This is stopped in the
Senate twice by the ALP and The Greens – 7 February 2014
95. Supports a reduction of penalty rates and other Award minimums in
a submission to the Fair Work Commission’s review of all Awards – 4 February 2014
94. Lies to the Australian public about the wages and working
conditions of factory workers at SPC Ardmona in Shepparton and uses this
incorrect information to blame them for their job insecurity – 4 February 2014
93. Launches an “efficiency study” into ABC and the SBS – 30 January 2014
92. Cuts the wages of Australian troops deployed overseas by almost $20 000 per solider – 29 January 2014
91. Intervenes on the side of Toyota to support cutting Australian workers wages and conditions – 28 January 2014
90. Privatises the 104 year old Australian Valuation Office costing nearly 200 jobs – 24 January 2014
89. Seeks to wind back the World Heritage listing of Tasmania’s forests – 23 January 2014
88. Withdraws funding from Operation Newstart, an early intervention program to help vulnerable young people – 22 January 2014
87. Exempts Western Australia from national environment laws to facilitate shark culling – 21 January 2014
86. Defunds all international environmental programs, the
International Labour Organisation and cuts funding to a range of
international aid programs run by NGOs such as Save the Children, Oxfam,
CARE Australia and Caritas – 18 January 2014
85. Violates Indonesia’s territorial sovereignty while turning back asylum seeker boats – 17 January 2014
84. Politicises the national school curriculum by appointing a former Liberal staffer and a Coalition supporter, both critics of the current curriculum to conduct a review – 10 January 2014.
83. Directs that people already found to be refugees who arrived by boat be given the lowest priority for family reunion – 8 January 2014
82. Fails to contradict or take any action against a member of his
government, Senator Cory Bernardi, who makes divisive statements about:
abortion, “non-traditional” families and their children, same sex
couples, couples who use IVF and calls for parts of WorkChoices to be
reintroduced – 6 January 2014
81. Scraps funding from the Jewish Holocaust Centre –January 3, 2014
80. Devastates Australia’s contribution to overseas aid by cutting $4.5 billion from the budget, causing vital programs supporting those in extreme poverty in our region to collapse - 1 January 2014
79. Drastically reduces tax breaks for small business and fails to publicise it – 1 January 2014
78. Appoints Tim Wilson, a Liberal Party member and Policy Director
of a right-wing think tank to the position of Commissioner at the Human
Rights Commission even though this think tank argued for the Commission
to be abolished – 23 December 2013
77. Approves private health fund premium increases of an average 6.2% a year – 23 December 2013
76. Breaks his promise to provide the promised customs vessel to monitor whaling operations in the Southern Ocean – 23 December 2013
75. Requests the delisting of World Heritage status for Tasmanian forests – 21 December 2013
74. Cuts funding to the Energy Efficiency Opportunities Programme
which makes it mandatory for large energy using businesses to improve
their efficiency –17 December, 2013
73. Breaks a promise to make no cuts to health by cutting $150 million from hospital and health services – 17 December 2013.
72. Scraps the Home Energy Saver Scheme which helps struggling low income households cut their electricity bills – 17 December 2013
71. Defunds the Public Interest Advocacy Centre whose objectives are
to work for a fair, just and democratic society by taking up legal cases
public interest issues – 17 December 2013
70. Defunds the Environmental Defenders Office which is a network of
community legal centres providing free advice on environmental law – 17 December 2013
69. Axes funding for animal welfare – 17 December 2013
68. Breaks his election promise of no cuts to education by cutting funding for trade training centres in schools – 17 December 2013
67. Abolishes the AusAID graduate program costing 38 jobs – 17 December 2013
66. Cuts Indigenous legal services by $13.4 million. This includes $3.5 million from front line domestic violence support services, defunding the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services and abolishing all policy and law reform positions across the country – 17 December 2013
65. Abolishes the position of co-ordinator-general for remote indigenous services – 17 December 2013
64. Breaks his promise to unequivocally support the NDIS by
changing the name of NDIS “launch sites” to “trial sites” and flags cuts
to funding – 17 December 2013
63. Abolishes the National Office for Live Music along with the live music ambassadors – 17 December 2013
62. Cuts $2.5 million from community radio – 17 December 2013
61. Weakens the ministerial code of conduct to let ministers keep shares in companies – 16 December 2013
60. Disbands the independent Immigration Health Advisory Group for asylum seekers – 16 December 2013
59. Dumps the National Occupational Licensing Scheme which was
designed to increase productivity by making it easier for skilled
workers to work interstate – 14 December 2013
58. Axes $4.5 million from charities and community groups for the Building Multicultural Communities Program – 13 December 2013
57. Starts dismantling Australia’s world leading marine protection system – 13 December 2013
56. Scraps the COAG Standing Council on Environment and Water – 13 December 2013
55. Breaks his NBN election promise of giving all Australians access to 25 megabits per second download speeds by 2016 – 12 December 2013
54. Overturns the “critically endangered” listing of the Murray Darling Basin – 11 December 2013
53. Dares Holden to leave Australia. Holden responds by announcing
its closure which costs Australians tens of thousands of jobs – 11 December 2013
52. Approves Clive Palmer’s mega coal mine in the Galilee Basin which opponents say will severely damage Great Barrier Reef – 11 December 2013
51. Demands that the few childcare workers who got pay rises “hand them back” – 10 December 2013
50. Approves the largest coal port in the world in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area – 10 December 2013
49. Removes the community’s right to challenge decisions where the
government has ignored expert advice on threatened species impacts – 9 December 2013
48. Downgrades national environment laws by giving approval powers to state premiers – 9 December 2013
47. Undermines Australia’s democracy by signing a free trade
agreement with South Korea allowing corporations to sue the Australian
Government – 6 December 2013
46. Damages our diplomatic relationship with our nearest neighbour East Timor – 5 December 2013
45. Repeals the pokie reform legislation which was designed to combat problem gambling – 4 December 2013
44. Suspends the Wage Connect program, despite it being proven to deliver good outcomes for unemployed people – 3 December 2013
43. Axes funding to the Alcohol and Other Drugs Council of Australia, forcing the 46 year old organisation to close. It is later revealed that a staffer in the Assistant Health Minister’s office had links to the Alcohol Industry – 27 November 2013
42. Breaks his promise to support Gonski and back flips three times – 25 November 2013
41. Shifts Australia’s position at the UN on Israeli settlements – 25 November 2013
40. Damages our diplomatic relationship with the Indonesian
Government by refusing to apologise for tapping the phones of their
President, his wife and senior Government officials – 23 November 2013
39. Converts crucial Start-Up Scholarships into loans, increasing the
debt of 80,000 higher education students by $1.2 billion – 21 November 2013
38. Gifts two navy patrol boats to the Sri Lankan government to stop asylum seekers fleeing the Sri Lankan government – 17 November 2013
37. Introduces a Bill to impose on workers who are elected onto
unpaid union committees huge financial penalties and jail terms for
breeches of new compliance obligations – 14 November 2013
36. Condones torture by foreign governments by saying “sometimes in difficult circumstances, difficult things happen” – 14 November 2013
35. Hides information from the Parliament and the people about the government’s treatment of asylum seekers – 13 November 2013
34. Abandons Australia’s emission reduction targets – 12 November, 2013
33. Separates a refugee mother from her newborn baby – 10 November 2013
32. Cuts 600 jobs at the CSIRO – 8 November 2013
31. Abolishes Insurance Reform Advisory Group which provided a forum
for industry and consumer bodies to discuss insurance industry reform – 8 November 2013
30. Abolishes the Maritime Workforce Development Forum which was an
industry body working to build a sustainable skills base for the
maritime industry – 8 November 2013
29. Abolishes the High Speed Rail Advisory Group whose job it was to
advise Governments on the next steps on implementing high speed rail for
eastern Australia – 8 November 2013
28. Abolishes the Advisory Panel on the Marketing in Australia of
Infant Formula which for 21 years ensured companies comply with
agreements on the advertising of infant formula – 8 November 2013
27. Abolishes the Antarctic Animal Ethics Committee who ensured
research on animals in the Antarctic complies with Australian standards
– 8 November 2013
26. Abolished the National Steering Committee on Corporate Wrongdoing
that for 21 years worked to make sure the law was effectively enforced
on corporate criminals – 8 November 2013
25. Abolishes the National Inter-country Adoption Advisory Council which provided expert advice on overseas adoption – 8 November 2013
24. Abolishes International Legal Services Advisory Council which was
responsible for working to improve the international performance of
Australia’s legal services – 8 November 2013
23. Abolishes the Commonwealth Firearms Advisory Council a group of
experts in gun crime and firearms which was set up after the Port Arthur
massacre – 8 November 2013
22. Abolishes Australian Animals Welfare Advisory Committee a diverse
group of experts advising the Agriculture Minister on animal welfare
issues – 8 November 2013
21. Abolishes the National Housing Supply Council which provided data
and expert advice on housing demand, supply and affordability – 8 November 2013
20. Abolishes the Advisory Panel on Positive Ageing, established to
help address the challenges the country faces as the number of older
Australians grows – 8 November 2013
19. Refuses to offer support to manufacturing in Tasmania, despite
requests and warnings. Caterpillar announces the move of 200 jobs from
Burnie to Thailand, costing around 1000 local jobs – 5 November 2013
18. Provides $2.2 million legal aid for farmers and miners to fight native title claims – 1 November 2013
17. Abolishes the 40 year old AusAID costing hundreds of jobs – 1 November 2013
16. Launches a successful High Court challenge which strikes down the
ACT Marriage Equality laws invalidating the marriages of many people
and ensuring discrimination against same-sex couples continues – 23 October 2013
15. Denies there is a link between climate change and more severe
bush fires and accuses a senior UN official was “talking through their
hat” – 23 October 2013
14. Appoints the head of the Business Council of Australia to a “Commission of Audit” to recommend cuts to public spending – 22 October 2013
13. Cuts compensation to the victims of bushfires – 21 October 2013
12. Instructs public servants and detention centre staff to call asylum seekers “illegals” – 20 October 2013
11. Appoints Howard era Australian Building & Construction
Commission (ABCC) Director to help reinstate the ABCC with all its
previous oppressive powers over construction workers – 17 October 2013
10. Axes the Major Cities Unit a Government agency with 10 staff
which provided expert advice on urban issues in our 18 biggest cities – 24 September 2013
9. Breaks his promise to “stop the boats” – 23 September 2013
8. Scraps the Social Inclusion Board, which had been established to guide policy on the reduction of poverty in Australia – 19 September 2013
7. Abolishes the Climate Commission – 19 September 2013
6. Appoints himself Minister for Women – 16 September 2013
5. Appoints only one woman into his cabinet and blames the women for his decision, saying he appoints “on merit”– 16 September 2013
4. Abolishes key ministerial positions of climate change and science – 16 September 2013
3. Breaks his promise to spend his first week with an Aboriginal community -14 September 2012
2. Takes away pay rises for childcare workers – 13 September 2013
1. Takes away pay rises from aged care workers – 13 September 2013
The Broken Promise Count
1. Does not spend his first week as Prime Minister with an Aboriginal community – 14 September 2013. This promise was made in front of indigenous elders and participants at the Garma Festival on 10 August 2013, this is a live recording.
2. Fails to “stop the boats” – 23 September 2013. This promise was repeated so many times I can’t count. Here’s Abbott’s 2013 campaign launch speech.
3. Breaks his promise to support Gonski – 25 November 2013 and 13 May 2014. Fails to commit to future funding or to require States to match the Commonwealth funding commitment. See paragraph two from Christopher Pyne on 29 August 2013
4. Breaks its NBN election promise of giving all Australians access to 25 megabits per second download speeds by 2016 – 12 December 2013 This was the Coalition’s policy they took to the election first announced 9 April 2013.
5. Breaks his election promise of no cuts to education by cutting funding for trade training centres in schools on 17 December 2013. He made this promise at the National Press Club on 2 September 2013 and in writing on 5 September 2013 as part of their policy commitments.
6. Breaks a promise to make no cuts to health. He made this promise at the National Press Club on 2 September 2013 and in writing on 5 September 2013 as part of their policy commitments. This promise was first broken on 27 November 2013 when they cut funding to the Alcohol and Other Drugs Council
7. Breaks a promise to make no cuts to health on 17 December 2013 when they cut $150 million from hospitals and health services.
8. Fails to provide the promised customs vessel to monitor whaling operations in the Southern Ocean – 23 December 2013 Promise made by Greg Hunt – 9 April 2013
9. Breaks a promise to
provide fibre-to-the-premises for all Tasmanians for the National
Broadband Network. This promise was confirmed my Malcolm Turnbull on 17 August 2013 and confirmed as broken by the NBN Co executive chairman Ziggy Switkowski on 13 February 2014.
10. Breaks a promise to introduce the paid parental leave scheme he took to the election on 30 April 2014 by reducing the promised benefit for those earning above $100 000.
11. Breaks promise of “no cuts to the ABC or SBS” by cutting $43.5 million from the ABC and SBS.
12. Breaks a promise of “no new taxes” by introducing a deficit tax rise of two percentage points for people earning more than $180,000 a year.
13. Announced to sacking of 16,500 public sector workers as whole Departments are abolished despite promising only 12,000 job losses and through natural attrition.
14. Breaks a promise of “no new taxes” by introducing a fuel levy.
15. Reduction in foreign aid budget of $7.9 billion over five years despite promise to not exceed $4.5 billion and cut via indexation.
16. Increases the pension age to 70 from 2035 after promising no changes to pensions
17. Cuts to old age pension by indexing to CPI, while it was promised there would be no changes.
18. Scraps The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) which was set up to support new and emerging renewable technologies and in doing so breaks an election promise.
19. Tears up the Federal Government’s agreement with states and territories to help fund increasing health costs despite promise of no cuts to health.
20. Breaks a promise to make no cuts to health with a $368 million cut from preventative health measures.
21. Reduces the Medicare benefit for optometry services and allows optometrists to charge more, despite promise to not cut health budget.
22. Axes the Charles Sturt University’s dental and oral health clinics, despite promise to not cut health budget.
23. Abolishes Medicare locals, despite promise to not cut health budget.
24. Breaks a promise to spend $2.55 billion Emissions Reduction Fund by committing less than half this amount in the budget.
25. Breaks a promise to have one million more solar roofs across Australia and at least 25 solar towns.
26. Breaks a promise not to cuts funding to health by dramatically cutting hospital funding.
27. Breaks election promise and slashes funding to Landcare
28. Breaks promise that no public servants will be forced into redundancy after revelations that two public servants in the Department of Industry have been made involuntarily redundant since September.
29. Breaks promise that no public servants will be forced into redundancy as it is revealed that at least 30 staff in Treasury will be made involuntarily redundant.
30. Breaks a promise not to grant permanent permanent residency to people arriving by boat by granting a visa to a least one refugee
31. Breaks a promise to amend the race hate laws
32. Breaks a promise to “make no unexpected detrimental changes to superannuation” by
killing the Low Income Super Contribution, the Superannuation Guarantee
and delaying superannuation increases for seven years.
33. Breaks election promise to build replacement submarines in South Australian shipyards, spending more than $20 billion on Japanese submarines instead.
34. Breaks an election promise to a publish a proposal for constitutional recognition for Indigenous people and
establish a bipartisan process to try to bring about recognition as
soon as possible within the first 12 months of Government.
35. Breaks promise to achieve a surplus in the Governments’ first year in office, instead overseeing an estimated $51 billion deterioration in revenue.
36. Breaks a key election promise to bring in 26 weeks parental leave paid at a working mother’s actual wage
37. Breaks an election promise
to improve transparency by restricting the transparency of overseas
travel expenses after media reports on Christopher Pyne’s lavish trip to
Europe with his wife
38. Imposes a $900 tax on new homes connecting to the NBN and breaks his election promise on new taxes.
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