Tracking Abbott’s Wrecking “APRIL UPDATE”
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 spend 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 it) but I recommend it to those with
an interest in how Tony Abbott intends changing Australia.
130. Begins dismantling GP Super clinics – 8 April 2014
129. 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
128. Forbids public servants from making political comments online, even
anonymously, and instructs them to report on colleagues who do – 6
April 2014
127. 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
126. Imposes fees and charges on people who become bankrupt – 1 April 2014
125. Axes free legal assistance for asylum seekers – 31 March 2014
124. Defunds 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
123. Opposes a UN resolution to conduct war crimes inquiry in Sri Lanka – 28 March 2014
122. Closes all Medicare offices on Saturdays – 26 March 2014
121. Brings back the awards of knights and dames which were abolished in 1986 – 25 March 2014
120. Cuts 400 jobs from the industry department – 25 March 2014
119. 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
118. Abolishes one third of the jobs in Treasury costing approximately 300 jobs – 21 March 2014
117. Cuts welfare payments to orphans of soldiers – 16 March 2014
116. Moves to deny funding to artists or events that refuse corporate sponsorship for ethical reasons – 15 March 2014
115. Cuts hundreds of jobs at the CSIRO – 14 March 2014
114. Reopens 457 visa loophole to allow employers to hire an unlimited number of workers without scrutiny – 12 March 2014
113. Overturns a ban on cattle grazing in the Victorian Alpine National Park – 6 March 2014
112. Frustrated and defeated an attempt at the UN to highlight the humanitarian consequences of nuclear war – 5 March 2014
111. Axes funding earmarked to save the Sumatran rhinoceros from extinction – 28 February 2014
110. 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
109. 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
108. 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
107. Scraps food grants program for small farmers – 21 February 2014
106. Pressured SPC Ardmona to cut the pay and conditions for workers in return for Government money – 20 February 2014
105. 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
104. 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
103. 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
102. 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
101. Appoints a climate change sceptic to head a review of our renewable energy target – 17 February 2014
100. 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
99. Breaks a promise to provide fibre-to-the-premises for all Tasmanians for the National Broadband Network – 13 February 2014
98. Unemployment rate jumps to highest in more than 10 years – 13 February 2014
97. 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
96. 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
95. 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
94. Launches a Royal Commission into unions – 10 February 2014
93. 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
92. 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
91. 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
90. Launches an “efficiency study” into ABC and the SBS – 30 January 2014
89. Cuts the wages of Australian troops deployed overseas by almost $20 000 per solider – 29 January 2014
88. Intervenes on the side of Toyota to support cutting Australian workers wages and conditions – 28 January 2014
87. Privatises the 104 year old Australian Valuation Office costing nearly 200 jobs – 24 January 2014
86. Seeks to wind back the World Heritage listing of Tasmania’s forests – 23 January 2014
85. Withdraws funding for an early intervention program to help vulnerable young people – 22 January 2014
84. Exempts Western Australia from national environment laws to facilitate shark culling – 21 January 2014
83. 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
82. Violates Indonesia’s territorial sovereignty while turning back asylum seeker boats – 17 January 2014
81. 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.
80. Directs that people already found to be refugees who arrived by boat
be given the lowest priority for family reunion – 8 January 2014
79. 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
78. 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
77. Drastically reduces tax breaks for small business and fails to publicise it – 1 January 2014
76. 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
75. Approves private health fund premium increases of an average 6.2% a year – 23 December 2013
74. Breaks his promise to provide the promised customs vessel to monitor
whaling operations in the Southern Ocean – 23 December 2013
73. Requests the delisting of World Heritage status for Tasmanian forests – 21 December 2013
72. Breaks a promise to make no cuts to health by cutting $150 million from hospital and health services – 17 December 2013.
71. Scraps the Home Energy Saver Scheme which helps struggling low
income households cut their electricity bills – 17 December 2013
70. 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
69. Defunds the Environmental Defenders Office which is a network of
community legal centres providing free advice on environmental law – 17
December 2013
68. Axes funding for animal welfare – 17 December 2013
67. Breaks his election promise of no cuts to education by cutting
funding for trade training centres in schools – 17 December 2013
66. Abolishes the AusAID graduate program costing 38 jobs – 17 December 2013
65. Cuts Indigenous legal services by $13.4 million. This includes $3.5
million from front line domestic violence support services, defunding
the National legal service and abolishing all policy and law reform
positions across the country – 17 December 2013
64. Abolishes the position of co-ordinator-general for remote indigenous services – 17 December 2013
63. 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
62. Abolishes the National Office for Live Music along with the live music ambassadors – 17 December 2013
61. Cuts $2.5 million from community radio – 17 December 2013
60. Weakens the ministerial code of conduct to let ministers keep shares in companies – 16 December 2013
59. Disbands the independent Immigration Health Advisory Group for asylum seekers – 16 December 2013
58. 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
57. Axes $4.5 million from charities and community groups for the Building Multicultural Communities Program – 13 December 2013
56. Starts dismantling Australia’s world leading marine protection system – 13 December 2013
55. Scraps the COAG Standing Council on Environment and Water – 13 December 2013
54. Breaks his NBN election promise of giving all Australians access to
25 megabits per second download speeds by 2016 – 12 December 2013
53. Overturns the “critically endangered” listing of the Murray Darling Basin – 11 December 2013
52. Dares Holden to leave Australia. Holden responds by announcing its
closure which costs Australians tens of thousands of jobs – 11 December
2013
51. Approves Clive Palmer’s mega coal mine in the Galilee Basin which
opponents say will severely damage Great Barrier Reef – 11 December 2013
50. Demands that the few childcare workers who got pay rises “hand them back” – 10 December 2013
49. Approves the largest coal port in the world in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area – 10 December 2013
48. Removes the community’s right to challenge decisions where the
government has ignored expert advice on threatened species impacts – 9
December 2013
47. Downgrades national environment laws by giving approval powers to state premiers – 9 December 2013
46. Undermines Australia’s democracy by signing a free trade agreement
with South Korea allowing corporations to sue the Australian Government –
6 December 2013
45. Damages our diplomatic relationship with our nearest neighbour East Timor – 5 December 2013
44. Repeals the pokie reform legislation which was designed to combat problem gambling – 4 December 2013
43. Suspends the Wage Connect program, despite it being proven to deliver good outcomes for unemployed people – 3 December 2013
42. 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
41. Breaks his promise to support Gonski and back flips three times – 25 November 2013
40. Shifts Australia’s position at the UN on Israeli settlements – 25 November 2013
39. 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
38. Converts crucial Start-Up Scholarships into loans, increasing the
debt of 80,000 higher education students by $1.2 billion – 21 November
2013
37. Gifts two navy patrol boats to the Sri Lankan government to stop
asylum seekers fleeing the Sri Lankan government – 17 November 2013
36. 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
35. Condones torture by foreign governments by saying “sometimes in
difficult circumstances, difficult things happen” – 14 November 2013
34. Hides information from the Parliament and the people about the government’s treatment of asylum seekers – 13 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. 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. Changes name of NDIS “launch sites” to “trial sites” and flags cuts
to funding – 17 December 2013. The unequivical promise to deliver the
NDIS in full was made 20 August 2013 and is in the policies they took to
the election
6. 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
7. 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 and again 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
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