RMIT ABC Fact Check

RMIT ABC Fact Check was a partnership between RMIT University and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Checked by RMIT ABC Fact Check16 Oct 2018Australia Politics and government

Bill Shorten, Opposition Leader

“The Government cut funding by $1.2 billion from aged care in Scott Morrison's first budget as treasurer”

RMIT ABC Fact Check rated this: Misleading

RMIT ABC Fact Check says: Mr Shorten's claim is misleading. In Mr Morrison's first year as federal treasurer — that is, 2016-17 — total Commonwealth funding for aged care (excluding the pension and other forms of income support for seniors, but …

Checked by RMIT ABC Fact Check15 Oct 2018Australia

Robert Costa, Vegetable magnate

“As a matter of fact, two-thirds of Australia's food relies upon bee pollination.”

RMIT ABC Fact Check rated this: Overstated

RMIT ABC Fact Check says: Mr Costa's claim is overstated. Experts told Fact Check that crops reliant on bee pollination represented closer to 35 per cent (about one-third) of total food production. They said that although around 75 per cent of a…

Checked by RMIT ABC Fact Check11 Oct 2018Australia

Dick Smith, Businessman

“At the present rate, we have [a] 1.6 per cent [population] growth rate. That's the highest in the developed world.”

RMIT ABC Fact Check rated this: Incorrect

RMIT ABC Fact Check says: Mr Smith is incorrect. The "developed world" is not a settled concept, but Australia's population growth does not top any of four credible lists of developed countries. Fact Check compared Australia's population growth …

Checked by RMIT ABC Fact Check4 Oct 2018Australia Health

Matt Canavan, Coalition Senator for Queensland

“[The proposed changes to Queensland's abortion laws] would be some of the most radical and extreme legislation of abortions in the world, and it would allow, effectively … unrestricted abortions beyond 22 weeks.”

RMIT ABC Fact Check rated this: Baseless

RMIT ABC Fact Check says: Senator Canavan's claim is baseless. Experts told Fact Check that the bill before Parliament contained clear restrictions on abortions after 22 weeks' gestation. While abortions would be available on request up to 22 we…

Checked by RMIT ABC Fact Check2 Oct 2018Australia Politics and government

Scott Morrison, Prime Minister

“The gender pay gap has fallen from 17.2 per cent to 14.5 per cent under the policies of our government.”

RMIT ABC Fact Check rated this: Overreach

RMIT ABC Fact Check says: Mr Morrison's claim is overreach. His numbers check out, although they differ slightly to those from the government agency officially tasked with publishing the gender pay gap. However, they oversimplify what has happen…

Checked by RMIT ABC Fact Check6 Sep 2018Australia Politics and government

Tim Wilson, Liberal MP

“Fact: Liberal Prime Minister Harold Holt abolished the White Australia Policy over 50 years ago.”

RMIT ABC Fact Check rated this: Simplistic

RMIT ABC Fact Check says: Mr Wilson's claim is simplistic. The White Australia policy was dismantled, piece by piece, over decades spanning governments both Liberal and Labor. Experts told Fact Check the 1966-67 Holt government's reforms were cr…

Checked by RMIT ABC Fact Check27 Jul 2018Australia Politics and government

Mathias Cormann, Special Minister of State

“It is a matter of history that incumbent governments find it nigh on impossible to win seats off an opposition at a by-election. For the last 100 years or so no government, of either political persuasion, has won a seat off an opposition at a by-election.”

RMIT ABC Fact Check rated this: Correct

RMIT ABC Fact Check says: Senator Cormann is correct. The last time an opposition lost a seat to a government at a by-election was in 1920 — almost 100 years ago. The previous MP in that by-election, Hugh Mahon, remains the only member in the hi…

Checked by RMIT ABC Fact Check25 Jul 2018Australia Health

Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister

“We are spending record amounts on hospitals, we are spending record amounts on health.”

RMIT ABC Fact Check rated this: Fair call

RMIT ABC Fact Check says: Mr Turnbull's claim is a fair call. Spending on health was higher in 2016-17 than in any other year since at least 1985-86. The final budget outcome is not yet available for 2017-18, but on the most recent estimate spen…

Checked by RMIT ABC Fact Check5 Jul 2018Australia Health

Chris Del Mar, Professor of Public Health at Bond University

“Your chances of getting the flu after a vaccination are only decreased by 1 to 2 per cent”

RMIT ABC Fact Check rated this: Misleading

RMIT ABC Fact Check says: Professor Del Mar's claim is misleading. The source of Professor Del Mar's claim is a systematic review of studies measuring the efficacy of flu vaccine in preventing the flu in healthy adults. That review found the flu…

Checked by RMIT ABC Fact Check25 May 2018Australia Politics and government

Susan Anderson, World Vision policy and advocacy director

“This year's budget is the fifth year in a row that the Australian Government has cut Australian aid.”

RMIT ABC Fact Check rated this: Correct

RMIT ABC Fact Check says: Ms Anderson's claim is correct. Across the five financial years from 2014-15 to 2018-19, the aid budget has been cut twice in nominal terms. And while data from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade shows that nom…

Checked by RMIT ABC Fact Check25 Apr 2018Australia

Bill Shorten, Opposition Leader

“It is true that posthumously promoting Monash to field marshal in this centenary year would be a break with normal protocol." "But there are powerful precedents for such a decision.”

RMIT ABC Fact Check rated this: Yes, but more to it

RMIT ABC Fact Check says: Mr Shorten's claim doesn't check out. In support of his argument, Mr Shorten cited three examples of men whose promotions, he claimed, had broken with protocol: Sir Thomas Blamey, Prince Philip, and General George Washi…