A politician to whom bald-faced political lying is as natural as breathing in and breathing out

This was Australian Opposition Leader Tony Abbott on 21 May 2013 during a doorstop interview:

Last week in the Parliament, I announced what I think is a breakthrough initiative for the families and the workers of our country. We will get rid of the carbon tax but we will keep the tax cuts and the pension and benefit increases associated with it. So instead of being just compensation, they will be real tax cuts and real pension rises. That means that when you’re doing your weekly, your fortnightly or your monthly budgets on the kitchen tables, the family kitchen tables right around Australia, you will be significantly better off under the Coalition, because no-one will lose any money, but everyone will lose the carbon tax. You won’t lose any money, but you will lose a carbon tax and that’s good for families. It’s good for households and it’s good for workers….

So there it is again. Under an Abbott government we, the ordinary voters, won’t lose any money. This is a bald-faced political lie.

Because Abbott has previously stated to the Australian Parliament and elsewhere that he will remove the following:

Super contribution tax payment of up to $500 annually for low income earners. The payment amount is 15% of concessional contributions (including employer contributions) made by or for individuals with an adjusted taxable income that does not exceed $37,000.

[http://www.ato.gov.au/content/00245688.htm]

Income Support Bonus worth $210 a year to eligible single people and $350 to couples and paid to those receiving Abstudy Living Allowance, Austudy, Exceptional Circumstances Payment, Newstart Allowance, Parenting Payment, Sickness Allowance, Special Benefit, Transitional Farm Family Payment and Youth Allowance. [http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/income-support-bonus]

Increase family payments (Family Tax Benefit Schedule A) for eligible families when they have a new baby. Worth $2,000 for the first child and $1,000 for any subsequent child. [http://www.humanservices.gov.au/corporate/publications-and-resources/budget/1314/measures/families/48-15254]

Schoolkids Bonus. An annual payment of $410 for each dependent primary school child and $820 for each dependent high school child of a parent or carer who gets Family Tax Benefit Part A. [http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/schoolkids-bonus]

The increase in compulsory employer contributions to workers superannuation until after 2016-17. [http://www.futuretax.gov.au/content/Content.aspx?doc=FactSheets/super_guarantee_rate_to_12_percent.htm]

It would appear that the majority of Australian households and workers will lose money if a Coalition Government is elected and, Mr Abbott said more spending cuts would be announced before the September 14 election.

Ross Leigh of Brisbane cynically suggests that the new Coalition campaign slogan should be; Over the next five years, we promise to take $15,000 off every Australian! Sorry, we promise to save $75 billion. He may be right.