Every politician breaks promises. That's the cynical wisdom we're supposed to accept and move on from. But Anthony Albanese has elevated promise-breaking to an art form — doing it with such confidence and so little media scrutiny that it almost demands admiration. Almost.
Here's a non-exhaustive list of what Labor promised and what actually happened.
1. "Power Bills Will Fall by $275"
This was the big one. Modelling released during the 2022 campaign projected household electricity bills would fall by $275 by 2025 under Labor's climate and energy policy. The Australian Energy Regulator's actual data showed bills rose by up to 24% in 2023 alone. When confronted with this, Albanese denied the promise existed. There's footage. There are transcripts. There's a poster. It existed.
2. "We Won't Touch the Stage 3 Tax Cuts"
Said clearly. Said repeatedly. Said by both Albanese and Chalmers. Then, months into their second year in government, they restructured the cuts anyway. To be fair, the restructure benefited lower earners. But the promise — made to win votes — was flatly broken. At least own it.
3. "A Better Future for Wages"
Labor came to power promising real wages growth. Real wages — after inflation — fell for the first two years of the Albanese government. Workers got nominal pay rises and could afford less. The government called this a success.
4. "Rent Assistance Will Help Renters"
Commonwealth Rent Assistance was increased. By $31 a fortnight. Rents rose by an average of $200-400 per month in the same period. The government said the increase was meaningful. Renters said thank you for the $31, they'd use it to buy slightly less food.
5. "We'll Fix the NDIS"
The NDIS blowout was a known problem when Labor took over. They inherited a scheme running well over budget and promised reform. Three years later, the scheme costs over $50 billion annually — up from $35 billion when they took office. The reforms announced have been mostly administrative, and thousands of participants still wait months for approvals.
6. "No New Coal or Gas Projects on Our Watch"
Said by Labor figures during the campaign. Then Woodside's Scarborough project was approved. Then Beetaloo Basin gas exploration was funded. Then Santos continued its Barossa project. The government's position evolved from "no new projects" to "transition" to "coal and gas will be with us for decades." Quite a journey.
7. "We'll Restore Integrity to Government"
A National Anti-Corruption Commission was established — credit where it's due. But Labor's record on rorts, grants manipulation, and ministerial transparency has been less inspiring. The Sports Rorts and Car Park Rorts scandals of the Coalition era were replaced with quieter but ongoing questions about how grants flow under Labor.
The Pattern
Make big promises. Win election. Quietly shelve the big promises. Commission a review. Release the review's terms of reference. Commission another review. Hold a press conference about the review. Never implement the review's recommendations. Repeat.
If you're keeping score at home, our More Spin Tee was made for exactly this moment. Because at this point, spin is the only thing Labor is delivering on time and under budget.