ABC’S feeble defence confirms abject failure to report Labor fairly

One of the Labor Government’s constant challenges is to ensure that the Australian media covers its policies fairly. This January article by distinguished former ABC correspondent Alan Austin caused a stir in 2025, including a complaint to the boards.

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A recent interview on ABC was the subject of a formal complaint. The national broadcaster’s official response is even more problematic, Alan Austin reports.

AN INTERVIEW ABOUT THE ABCS 7.30 Lied to claim poverty was worsening in Australia in November Albanian State. As reported here, the group failed to explain that the appalling research findings it presented were collected several years before Labor took office.

The official response to the complaint makes even harsher admissions about the profound ignorance of ABC News staff. The full text of the response is posted in the comments section of this article. This triggered the fix.

Open letter to ABC

Dear ABC Ombudsman Office investigators,

Thank you for your email dated December 3 following the complaint. 7.30 Interview with the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) Chief Executive Officer Cassandra Goldie.

Unfortunately, your answer raises further concerns.

First of all, the claim has no basis. “So that viewers understand that the data presented in the report is based on a longer-term study.”. Nowhere in the program is it stated that the damning situation described prevailed between 2014 and 2021. The entire discussion was in the present tense.

This is a huge scam and should be a plunderable crime.

Second, the claim is clearly false. ‘Ms Goldie’s comments are based on the latest available data’. They definitely weren’t. The Bureau of Statistics and many other agencies have tracked recent reductions in poverty and increases in wealth. None of this was referenced in the segment. Current figures were not specified.

Your most surprising comment:

‘We are not aware of any evidence to suggest that the figures quoted have changed significantly over the last two years.’

This is frankly appalling. Extensive evidence proves that Australia’s economic situation today is very different from two years ago.

Australia’s economy approaches the world’s worst-managed economy OECDAccording to the data, IMF, UBS, World BankOECD, Trade Economics and elsewhere today is near the top.

ABC’s ignorance of these major changes is indicative of its inability to monitor critical data.

The following are just 19 data sets that reveal the falsity of this claim. 7.30 segment selected from a much larger list. Click on the links for original data.

1. Abolition of old-age pensions

single age pension from $967.50 bi-weekly When the Labor Party took office $1,144.40 now an increase of 18.3%. Inflation It was 10.3% in this period.

2. Higher income for disadvantaged people

Single youth every two weeks allowance Living away from home is no longer possible $430.40 in 2022 $663.30 today an increase of 54.1%.

Guard He described these reforms as follows: ‘Biggest increase in decades’. ABC and ACOSS need to know this.

3. Inflation controlled

Monthly inflation It was 2.15% last October, down from 6.12% in May 2022. Reserve BankThis has been the most suitable band for three months. See the table below.

4. Record wage increases

Average weekly earnings It rose 5.85% in the year to May 2024, the highest annual increase since records began.

Weekly minimum wage In 2022, it rose 12.6% from $812.60 to $915.90; This is the strongest real increase in history.

5. Wages are above inflation

Wage increases The last four quarters were all above average inflation rateIt reversed what Labor had inherited.

6. Increased financial well-being

Bureau of Statistics data was published a few weeks ago 7.30The liar section of showed household wealth It rose to $16.48 trillion in the June 2024 quarter for the seventh consecutive quarter. This was 13.2% higher than two years ago and 23.7% (almost a quarter) higher than three years ago. See the table below.

7. More share of world wealth

UBS Global Wealth Report It shows Australia’s average wealth per adult is currently US$261,805 (AU$421,584.79). This improved his ranking from fourth in 2020 and 2022 to second in the world.

8. Workers’ share of the national cake

Share gross national income The rate going to employees increased from 49.3% in June 2022 to 53.5% last September. This is the highest level since September 2016. See the table below.

9. Increasing support for disadvantaged people

Social social benefits paid Australians in need have been given an average of 6.08% of GDP over the last four quarters. This contrasts with 5.44% in 2018 and 2019.

10. Best business results

employment/population ratio It has been above 64.1% in the last six months. This is the first time this has been achieved since records began. The work participation rate reached 67.0 percent for the first time last July and has remained at the same level since then.

11. More hours paid

underemployment rate From 2015 to 2020, it fluctuated between 8.4% and 14.5%. It is now down to 6.3%.

12. Increase in quality of life

household expenses In the September 2024 quarter, it reached a record of $220.1 billion, an increase of 8.9% compared to two years ago.

13. Spending boom confirmed

Consumer spending reached 16.5% GDP This past June, it reached an all-time high of 16.7% in September.

14. Save luxury item purchases

Spending The cosmetics and dining out industry reached an all-time high of 21% of all retail sales in May 2023 and has remained at or around that level since.

15. Travel abroad

Number of residents returning from overseas trips by October 2024 record 9.84 million.

16. Newer home loans

housing finance It exceeded $90 billion in the September 2024 quarter, an increase of 22.1% compared to the previous year.

17. Unemployment has decreased significantly

Job seeker plaintiffs They were below 5.5% of the workforce for more than a year; This is the lowest level in history. When the Labor Party took office, this rate was 6.6 percent.

18. The number of emergency accommodation clients is decreasing

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare demonstrations homelessness Labor has fallen every year since it came to power. The number of homeless clients decreased from 117.4 per 10,000 people in 2018 to 105.1 in 2024.

19. Request for urgent assistance

calls National Debt Helpline It is currently well below historical levels and continues to decline.

The number of calls for help in 2024 reached 148,607; That number was well below the 150,917 figure in 2016, when the program began, and 15.8% below the 2018 high of 176,472.

These results confirm that the Albanian Government has achieved impressive success in shifting wealth and income to the majority and has significantly reduced poverty.

Please ensure newsroom staff are aware of all these databases, so false narratives such as those published online 7.30 not repeated last November.

Kind regards,

Alan Austin

Alan Austin is an Independent Australian columnist and freelance journalist. You can follow him on Twitter @alanaustin001.

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