Labor’s shadow minister for early education, Kate Ellis, said there has been a massive increase in child care costs under the Coalition government. Is that an accurate reflection of the data?
On Q&A, an unemployed merchant seafarer said Australian seafarers could replaced by foreign seafarers working on 457 visas, working for as little as $2 an hour. We check the facts.
The Australian Christian Lobby’s Lyle Shelton said he was concerned about body modification, gender reassignment surgery and future suicide risk. We check the research.
Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen told journalists that since the last federal election, the government has had spending as a percentage of GDP at GFC levels. Is that right?
Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm told parliament that of the $1.5 billion spent annually on drug law enforcement, 70% is attributable to cannabis. Are those numbers correct?
Dave West from the environmental group Boomerang Alliance told Fairfax that if you’ve got an average seafood diet in Australia, you’re probably ingesting about 11,000 plastic pieces a year. Is that right?
Radio broadcaster Neil Mitchell told the Q&A audience that refugees are costing $100 million a year in welfare payments and have a 97% unemployment rate. Is that accurate?
Energy and resources minister Josh Frydenberg said recently that the latest employment figures show extremely strong job growth, the greatest Australia’s had since 2006. Is that right?
Simon Birmingham, Minister for Education and Training, said this week that Australia runs one of the most generous student loan schemes in the world. Is that right?
Is Labor’s Shadow Assistant Treasurer, Andrew Leigh, right to warn that each household may effectively face the prospect of paying an extra $4,500 a year in GST?
When asked about a plan to resettle an extra 12,000 refugees in Australia, Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi said that the UNHCR determines who is going to be sent to Australia or not. Is that right?
Tasneem Chopra told Q&A that of the 70,000 refugees who’ve arrived in Australia by boat since 1976, none have been found to be linked to terrorism. We examine the best evidence out there.
Assistant Treasurer Kelly O'Dwyer told the ABC that “average income earners largely are the people who do get to take advantage of negative gearing.” Is that a fact?