THE LIST
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.
Introduces laws to retain the metadata of Australians that 85 security and policing agencies can access – 26 March 2015
Axes the National Produce Monitoring System which monitors chemicals in Australia’s domestic food – 18 March 2015
Threatens to sack 1700 researchers if the Senate did not pass their bill to deregulate universities – 15 March 2015
Dismisses Indigenous culture by describing living in remote communities as a “lifestyle choice” – 11 March 2015
Violates the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and has found to have done so multiple times by the U.N. – 9 March 2015
Defends the decision of the LNP to hold an International Women’s Day lunch at a club that only accepts male members – 4 March 2015
Dismisses the inquiry into the treatment of children in immigration detention as a “political stitch up” and attacks Gillian Triggs the President of the Human Rights Commission – 24 February 2014
Tried to induce the President of the Human Rights Commission Gillian Triggs to resign before her report outlining the abuse of children in Australia’s immigration detention centres was released – 24 February 2015.
Pays $3.32 million to the lead lawyer for the Royal Commission into trade unions for under two years work – 19 February 2015
Puts at risk efforts to halt the executions of two Australians in Bali by threatening Indonesia with aid funding – 19 February 2015
Bungles the tendering process for building submarines threatening hundreds of jobs – 19 February 2015
Dismisses a damning report into the impacts of mandatory detention of children seeking asylum as partisan and politicised, and says the Human Rights Commission “should be ashamed of themselves” – 12 February 2015
Breaks promise to lead a “strong, stable, accountable” government – 09 February 2015
Dumps his signature paid parental leave policy – 2 February 2015
Awards a Knighthood to Prince Philip on Australia Day – 26 January 2015
Undermines court system by commenting on the bail decision of a Victorian magistrate – January 16, 2015
Announces a freezes to the annual increases to the Medicare schedule – 12 January 2015
Attempts to undermine Medicare by slashing the amount doctors get for consultations – 12 January 2015
Votes against a UN resolution calling for the end of the Israeli occupation of Palestine – 31 December 2014
Spends millions on market research and TV advertisements promoting their proposal to uncap university fees – 28 December 2014
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
Defunds peak organisations who advocate for the poor and oppressed including Homelessness Australia, Financial Counselling Australia and National Shelter – 22 December 2014
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
Backflips on clamping down on multinational companies who shift profits to avoid paying taxes in Australia – 17 December 2014
Blows out the deficit to $40.4 Billion – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency – 15 December 2015
Ceases payments to apprentices under Support for Adult Australian Apprenticeships program – 15 December 2014
Cuts funding for the National Trade Cadetships programme – 15 December 2014
Slashes another $3.7 billion from overseas aid – 15 December 2014
Cuts 26 more government bodies down to 6 – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Operational Working Party which advises government on the needs of the ex-service community – 15 December 2014
Cancels the National Health, Aged and Community Care Forum – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Current and Former Members of the ADF Emerging Issues Forum – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Australian Financial Centre Taskforce – 15 December 2014
Silences the National Injury Insurance Scheme Advisory Group – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the National Children and Family Roundtable – 15 December 2014
Silences the Minister’s Dementia Advisory Group – 15 December 2014
Cancels the Healthy Life Better Ageing Committee – 15 December 2014
Annuls the Aged Care Reform Implementation Council – 15 December 2014
Cancels the Aged Care Planning Advisory Committee – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency Ltd – 15 December 2014
Cancels the Indigenous Development effectiveness Initiative Steering Committee – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the First Peoples Education Advisory Group – 15 December 2014
Cancels the Australia in the Asian Century Advisory Board – 15 December 2014
Annuls the Regional Australia Standing Council – 15 December 2014
Dismantles the Northern Australia Ministerial Forum – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Marine Council – 15 December 2014
Terminates the Expert Advisory Panel on Northern Australia – 15 December 2014
Silences the Northern Australia Indigenous Experts Forum on sustainable Economic Development – 15 December 2014
Annuls the Infrastructure Coordinator – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Technical Advisory Committee for the Coal Mining Abatement Technology Support Package – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Gas Market – Industry Reference Group – 15 December 2014
Disbands the Department of Human Services Council on Strategy and Innovation – 15 December 2014
Disbands the Anti-Doping Research Panel – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Tourism Quality Council of Australia – 15 December 2014
Disbands the Australia Awards Board – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the National Marine Mammal Scientific Committee – 15 December 2014
Disbands the National Marine Mammal Advisory Committee – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the National Landscapes Reference Committee – 15 December 2014
Gets rid of the Indigenous Water Advisory Committee – 15 December 2014
Disbands the Iconic Sites Taskforce – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Fuel Standards Consultative Committee – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Emissions Intensive – Trade Exposed Expert Advisory Committee - 15 December 2014
Disbands the Commonwealth Environmental Water Stakeholder Reference Panel – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the COAG Standing Council on Environment and Water – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Bureau of Meteorology Water Accounting Standards Board – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Antarctic Science Advisory Committee – 15 December 2014
Cancels the COAG Select Council on Workplace Relations – 15 December 2014
Wipes out the Education Investment Fund Advisory Board – 15 December 2014
Dismantles the Australian Qualifications Framework Council – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Strategic Cross-sectoral Data Committee for Early Childhood, Education and Training – 15 December 2014
Dismantles the Vietnam Veterans Education Centre – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the research working group – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Peacekeepers Study Advisory Committee – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Medicines Advice and Therapeutics Education Services Writing Group – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Medicines Advice and Therapeutics Education Services Veterans Reference Group – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Medicines Advice and Therapeutics Education Services Practitioner Reference Group – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Gulf War Study Advisory Committee – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the eHealth Technical Advisory Group – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Community Nursing Clinical Advisory Committee – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Australian National Memorial New Zealand Advisory Panel – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Anzac Centenary Public Fund Board – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Official Establishments Trust – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Australian Council of Local Government – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Urban Policy Forum – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the National Disaster Recovery Taskforce – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Local Government Ministers’ Forum – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Inter-Jurisdictional Working Group – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics Advisory Board – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Pharmaceutical Industry Working Group – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the National Precincts Board – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Fair Work Building and Construction Independent Assessor – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Standing Council on School Education and Early Childhood Joint Working Group to Provide Advice on Students with Disability – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Department of Defence CEO’s round table – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Committee which was overseeing reform to the repair and maintenance of the Navy’s ships – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Department of Defence Diversity Advisory Group – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Australian Defence Force Financial Services Consumer Council – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Subcommittee on Animal Health Laboratory Standards – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Rabies Preparedness Working Group – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the New Test Evaluation Working Group – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the National Strategies Working Group – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Laboratories for Emergency Animal Disease Diagnosis and Response Working Group – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the National Surveillance and Diagnostics Working Group – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Forestry and Forest Products Committee – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Department of Agriculture – Live Animal Export Division – Industry Government Implementation Group – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Benchmarks Working Group which monitors acute hospital performance – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Australian and New Zealand Standard Diagnostic Procedures Working Group – 15 December 2014
Abolishes the Artbank Advisory Committee – 15 December 2014
Cuts the Development Allowance Authority – 15 December 2014
Cuts the Reconstruction Inspectorate – 15 December 2014
Cuts the Inspector of Transport Security – 15 December 2014
Cuts the National Advisory for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment – 15 December 2014
Cuts the Health and Hospitals Fund Advisory Board – 15 December 2014
Cuts the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Advisory Board – 15 December 2014
Cuts the Climate Adaptation Outlook Independent Expert Group – 15 December 2014
Cuts the Biological Diversity Advisory Committee – 15 December 2014
Cuts the Australian Antarctic Names and Medals Committee – 15 December 2014
Cuts the Antarctic Research Assessment Committee – 15 December 2014
Cuts the Forces Entertainment Board – 15 December 2014
Cut the Protection Zone Committees – 15 December 2015
Cuts the Telework Advisory Panel – 15 December 2014
Cuts the Australian Government Solicitor – 15 December 2014
Appoints the radically right wing John Lloyd from the Institute of Public Affairs to head the Public Service Commission – 12 December 2014
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
Imposes a $900 tax on new homes connecting to the NBN breaking election promises on taxes – 11 December 2014
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
Announces a cut of $5 to the Medicare rebate after he fails to get his $7 Medicare co-payment through the Senate – 9 December 2014
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
Breaks a key election promise to bring in 26 weeks parental leave paid at a working mother’s actual wage – 7 December 2014
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
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
Reintroduces temporary protection visas for asylum seekers found to be refugees – 4 December 2014
Cuts CSIRO funding, which means that CSIRO will lose 1/5 of its workforce - 24 November, 2014
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
Refuses to contribute to the fund Green Climate Fund, which Abbott last year described as “socialism masquerading as environmentalism” – 17 November, 2014
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
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
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
Describes coal as “good for humanity” while opening a coal mine in Queensland 13 October, 2014
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
Cuts spending on science and innovation to the lowest levels since the data was first published - 07 October, 2014
Spends an estimated $500 million yearly participating in the conflict in the Middle East – 07 October, 2014
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
Signs a deal with Cambodia to accept Australia’s refugees for a payment of $40 million over 4 years – 26 September, 2014
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.
Breaks election promise to build replacement submarines in South Australian shipyards, spending more than $20 billion on Japanese submarines instead – 8 September, 2014
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
Delays superannuation increases for seven years costing workers thousands of dollars in retirement savings – 2 September 2014
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
Repeals the mining tax on the profits of big coal and iron ore companies – 2 September 2014
Bans secular workers from the school chaplaincy program – 27 August 2014
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
Unemployment hits highest level in 12 years – 7 August 2014
Breaks an election promise to amend the race hate laws – 6 August 2014
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
Allows the suspension of payments to parents whose children do not attend school in the Northern Territory – 19 July 2014
Axes the carbon tax with no viable policy to address climate change or Australia’s emission targets – 17 July, 2014
Risks up to $1 billion in revenue through job cuts at the ATO – July 15, 2014
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
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
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
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
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 lesson spin than the previous government – July 05, 2014
Describes Australia as ‘unsettled’ before the British arrived, during an address to the Australia-Melbourne Institute Conference – 04 July, 2014
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
Breaks a promisenot to grant permanent permanent residency to people arriving by boat by granting a visato a least one refugee – 03 July, 2014
Prohibits Community Legal Centres from using Government funding to advocate for policy or law reform – 02 July, 2014
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
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
Refuses to confirm the existence of two boatloads of refugees reported to be currently on board customs vessels. The Government previously denied the vesselswere in trouble and refuses to comment on whether the refugees will be landing in Australia – 30 June, 2014
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
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
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
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.
Refuses to halt return of refugees to war-torn Iraq – 18 June, 2014
Abandons the long-held, bipartisan position of referring to Palestinian land captured in 1967 as occupied – 06 June, 2014
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
Excludes Australian shipyards from a major new contract, sending jobs offshore and threatening the industry in Australia – 05 June, 2014
Cuts funding to the peak refugee organisation the Refugee Council of Australia – 30 May 2014
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
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
Scraps the National Water Commission – 13 May, 2014
Abolishes funding for Building Australia’s Future Workforce – 13 May, 2014
Abolishes the Get Reading Programme – 13 May, 2014
Scraps the annual subsidy to local ethanol producers – 13 May 2014
Slashes the Biodiversity Fund – 13 May, 2014
Cuts the Education Department’s Online Diagnostic Tools Programme – 13 May, 2014
Abolishes the Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority which was established to encourage organ donation – 13 May, 2014
Introduces annual reviews for veterans receiving military compensation payments due to illness or injury – 13 May, 2014
Terminates the Office of Water Science research programme – 13 May, 2014
Abolishes the Commonwealth Human Rights Education Grant – 13 May 2014
Abolishes funding to the Exotic Disease Preparedness Programme – 13 May 2014
Slashes funding from the Indigenous Health Budget – 13 May 2014
Cuts funding for Indigenous language support – 13 May 2014
Cuts funding to the Torres Strait Regional Authority – 13 May 2014
Abolishes the Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, the only elected representative body for Indigenous Australians -13 May 2014
Breaks election promiseand slashes funding to Landcare – 13 May 2014
Abolishes the National Rental Affordability Scheme – 13 May 2014
Cuts funding from the corporate regulator ASIC which oversees the financial sector – 13 May 2014
Axes the first home buyers savings scheme – 13 May 2014
Reduces funding to the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency – 13 May 2014
Abolishes the Improving Educational Outcomes Programme – 13 May 2014
Cuts funding to the Child Care Early Learning Projects and the Professional Support Program which assist childcare workers gain skills – 13 May 2014
Reduces funding to the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership – 13 May 2014
Cut the Research Training Scheme, with tertiary education providers to introduce student contributions for higher degrees – 13 May 2014
Ends the development of the Australian Baccalaureate – 13 May 2014
Cuts higher education reward funding – 13 May 2014
Cuts the Australian National University’s HC Coombs Policy Forum – 13 May 2014
Cuts Australian Research Council funding – 13 May 2014
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
Cuts an incentive program for graduates to take up work in regional locations of need – 13 May 2014
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
Kills off four grant programmes including the the Australian Community Food Safety Campaign and Outreach Support Services for Criminalised Women – 13 May 2014
Cuts $2.3 million in contribution to the World Health Organisation – 13 May 2014
Abolishes the Australian Interactive Games Fund which helped support local video game developers – 13 May 2014
Breaks a promise not to cuts funding to health by dramatically cutting hospital funding – 13 May 2014
Cuts $240 million over four years to community programs that support poor, sick or disadvantaged people – 13 May 2014
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
Cuts the Women in Leadership program – 13 May 2014
Breaks a promise to have one million more solar roofs across Australia and at least 25 solar towns – 13 May 2014
Breaks a promise to spend $2.55 billion Emissions Reduction Fund by committing less than half this amount in the budget – 13 May 2014
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
Announces 3000 job loses at the Australian Tax Office – 13 May 2014
Freezes the Family Tax Benefit A at a set income level regardless of the number of children – 13 May 2014
Cuts the Family Tax Benefit B end-of-year supplement by 15% – 13 May 2014
Reduces funding for the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation – 13 May 2014
Reduces funding to the Australian Institute for Marine Science – 13 May 2014
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
Rips a further $111.4 million over four years out of the operating budget of the CSIRO – 13 May 2014
Ceases funding for National ICT Australia, which is a research centre for communications and information technology – 13 May 2014
Abolishes Medicare locals – 13 May 2014
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
Mandates religious education in schools by taking away the option for schools to opt for a secular social worker instead – 13 May 2014
Abolishes the ABC’s disability communities website Ramp Up – 13 May 2014
Abolishes the Disability Discrimination Commissioner – 13 May 2014
Abolishes the Better Schools Centre for Quality Teaching and Learning – 13 May 2014
Dismantles the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and will establish a health productivity and performance commission – 13 May 2014
Abolishes the Seniors Supplement – 13 May 2014
Axes the tax break for people with dependent spouses – 13 May 2014
Axes the Diagnostic Imaging Quality Programme – 13 May 2014
Ceases the Dental Flexible Grants Program – 13 May 2014
Axes the Charles Sturt University’s dental and oral health clinics – 13 May 2014
Axes funding for the nursing and allied health scholarships in Tasmania – 13 May 2014
Defers 13 Partners in Recovery programs which help people with severe and persistent mental illness and complex support needs – 13 May 2014
Cuts funding to the National Anti-Tobacco Campaign – 13 May 2014
Cuts Australia’s Animal Welfare Strategy – 13 May 2014
Abolishes Health Workforce Australia and cuts the expansion of the Clinical Training Funding Program – 13 May 2014
Axes the National Partnership Agreement on Preventive Health – 13 May 2014
Defers the National Partnership Agreement for adult public dental services until July 2015 – 13 May 2014
Reduces the Medicare benefit for optometry services and allows optometrists to charge more – 13 May 2014
Abolishes the GP Education and Training Limited and ceasing the Pre-vocational GP Placements Scheme – 13 May 2014
Axes industry and community clean energy programs include the Low Emissio