The Claim
“Scrapped the Advisory Panel on Positive Ageing, despite the fact our population is aging.”
Original Sources Provided
✅ FACTUAL VERIFICATION
The Advisory Panel on Positive Ageing was indeed abolished by the Coalition government in November 2013.
The Panel was established by the Labor Government in the 2012-13 Budget with funding of $4.7 million over four years [1]. Its purpose was to "lead a national dialogue on ageing issues, improve coordination of policy design across portfolios, and work with the Government on implementation and design of ageing policy" [1].
On 7 November 2013, the Abbott Government announced the Panel would be scrapped as part of a broader abolition of 21 non-statutory bodies, citing a saving of just over $1 million per year [2]. Prime Minister Tony Abbott stated this was to "further streamline government and reduce duplication" where "activities are no longer needed or can be managed within existing departmental resources" [2].
Panel Chairman Everald Compton confirmed the dismissal, tweeting: "I chair Federal Panel on #Ageing. Have been sacked. 6 months needed to finish Blueprint on how Australia can turn Ageing Tsunami into asset" [2]. The Panel was approximately 8 months from completing its comprehensive "Blueprint for an Ageing Australia" [3].
Australia's population was indeed ageing. In 2013, 14% of the population (3.3 million people) were aged 65 and over [4]. According to Treasury's 2010 Intergenerational Report, Australia faced significant demographic challenges from ageing, with the ratio of working-age people to those over 65 forecast to drop from 5:1 in 2007 to 3:1 by 2056 [5].
Missing Context
The claim omits several important contextual factors:
1. Partisan nature of the dismissal: According to Compton himself, Coalition MPs privately conveyed that "the sole reason for the dismissal of the panel... is that it was established by former treasurer Wayne Swan and it has been decided that every vestige of Swan's term as treasurer must be obliterated" [6]. This suggests the decision was politically motivated rather than policy-based.
2. Panel members were highly credentialed: The Panel consisted of respected figures including former Deputy Prime Minister Brian Howe AO, Age Discrimination Commissioner Susan Ryan AO, Professor Gill Lewin (President of the Australian Association of Gerontology), and Neville Roach AO - not a partisan group [1].
3. The abolition was part of broader government streamlining: The Panel's abolition was one of 21 non-statutory bodies cut, suggesting a systematic approach to reducing advisory bodies rather than a specific critique of this panel's work [2].
4. The government did not entirely abandon ageing policy: The Coalition maintained other advisory mechanisms, including Ministerial Advisory Councils, and later (in 2021) established the Aged Care Council of Elders following the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety [7].
5. The work was eventually completed through private funding: After the government abolished the Panel, Per Capita (a progressive think tank) partnered with four Panel members to complete the Blueprint through crowdfunding and a $50,000 donation from NAB [3].
Source Credibility Assessment
The original source (SmartCompany) is a credible Australian business news publication owned by Private Media. The specific article was an op-ed by Everald Compton, the dismissed Panel Chairman, giving it direct authority but also potential bias as the affected party. The claims are corroborated by:
- Australian Ageing Agenda (industry publication) [2]
- Treasury.gov.au (official government source) [1]
- ABC News analysis [5]
- Per Capita think tank documentation [3]
The weight of evidence strongly supports the factual accuracy of the claim from multiple independent sources.
Labor Comparison
Did Labor do something similar?
Search conducted: "Labor government abolished advisory bodies Howard government"
Finding: The Rudd/Gillard governments did abolish some advisory bodies when taking office in 2007, though focused on different areas. Most notably, the Howard government's Australian Technical Colleges and WorkChoices-related bodies were dismantled. However, there is no direct equivalent of abolishing an ageing-specific advisory panel with active, near-complete work.
Key differences in Labor's approach:
- Labor created the Panel in 2012 - demonstrating their prioritization of ageing issues [1]
- Labor maintained a dedicated Minister for Ageing - The Coalition not only abolished the Panel but also eliminated the standalone "Minister for Ageing" portfolio, folding it into "Social Services" [5]. This was criticized as downgrading the importance of ageing policy.
Comparison with Coalition's broader pattern:
The Howard government (1996-2007) was also known for abolishing advisory bodies, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) in 2004, replacing elected representation with appointed advisors [8]. This suggests that incoming governments of both major parties often restructure advisory arrangements to align with their priorities.
Balanced Perspective
Legitimate government rationale:
The Abbott Government's position was that the Panel represented unnecessary duplication that could be managed within departmental resources. With 21 bodies abolished simultaneously, this appears to have been part of a systematic "efficiency dividend" approach to reducing government expenditure and bureaucracy [2].
Counter-arguments:
Critics noted that the Panel was less than 8 months from completing a comprehensive Blueprint that had been years in development. The timing was particularly questionable given the acknowledged "ageing tsunami" Australia faces [6]. As Shadow Minister Shayne Neumann noted, the Coalition simultaneously found $360 million for superannuation tax cuts for high-income earners while cutting $1 million from the ageing advisory body [2].
Comparative context:
While both parties restructure advisory bodies upon taking office, the specific nature of this abolition - disbanding a near-complete bipartisan panel with respected members, eliminating the dedicated Minister for Ageing position, and doing so despite well-documented demographic challenges - represents a distinctive approach compared to Labor's establishment of the Panel in 2012.
Key context: This decision was not unique in Australian political history - incoming governments regularly reshape advisory structures. However, the combination of scrapping the Panel, eliminating the ministerial portfolio, and doing so while facing documented demographic challenges does represent a distinctive Coalition approach that contrasts with Labor's prioritization of ageing policy through the Panel's creation and maintenance of a dedicated ministerial position.
TRUE
8.0
out of 10
The claim is factually accurate. The Advisory Panel on Positive Ageing was indeed abolished by the Coalition government in November 2013, despite Australia's ageing population being a well-documented demographic reality. The abolition was confirmed by multiple sources including the government itself, the dismissed Panel Chairman, and industry publications. While the government cited efficiency reasons, the timing (with the Panel 8 months from completing its work) and the partisan motivation acknowledged by Compton support the characterization that this was a controversial decision made despite the importance of ageing policy.
Final Score
8.0
OUT OF 10
TRUE
The claim is factually accurate. The Advisory Panel on Positive Ageing was indeed abolished by the Coalition government in November 2013, despite Australia's ageing population being a well-documented demographic reality. The abolition was confirmed by multiple sources including the government itself, the dismissed Panel Chairman, and industry publications. While the government cited efficiency reasons, the timing (with the Panel 8 months from completing its work) and the partisan motivation acknowledged by Compton support the characterization that this was a controversial decision made despite the importance of ageing policy.
📚 SOURCES & CITATIONS (8)
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1
Advisory Panel on Positive Ageing - Treasury.gov.au
In the 2012-13 Budget, the Government announced funding of $4.7 million over four years to establish a new ongoing Advisory Panel on Positive Ageing.
Treasury Gov -
2
Advisory Panel on Positive Ageing scrapped - Australian Ageing Agenda
The Federal Government has announced that the Advisory Panel on Positive Ageing is to be scrapped - at a saving of just over $1 million a year.
Australian Ageing Agenda -
3
Advisory Panel on Positive Ageing - Per Capita
The Advisory Panel on Positive Ageing was originally constituted in 2011 with a three-year mandate to produce...
Per Capita -
4
Ageing and the health system - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Aihw Gov
-
5
Ageing population missed by Abbott's ministry - ABC News
As Australia faces the challenges of an ageing population, Tony Abbott's decision to pare back ministerial titles could spell trouble for the future of older Australians.
Abc Net -
6
Why Joe Hockey should not have sacked me - SmartCompany
As we face an ageing tsunami, Treasurer Joe Hockey has sacked the Advisory Panel on Positive Ageing (and me as its chairman), declaring it to be
SmartCompany -
7
Aged Care Council of Elders - Department of Health and Aged Care
Health Gov
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8
History repeating—the series of Indigenous advisory voices that governments ignored - Solidarity
An Indigenous Voice to Parliament would only be the latest in a succession of Indigenous advisory bodies that have all been ignored and then scrapped, writes Jasmine Ali.
Solidarity Online – Socialist organisation in Australia affiliated to the International Socialist Tendency
Rating Scale Methodology
1-3: FALSE
Factually incorrect or malicious fabrication.
4-6: PARTIAL
Some truth but context is missing or skewed.
7-9: MOSTLY TRUE
Minor technicalities or phrasing issues.
10: ACCURATE
Perfectly verified and contextually fair.
Methodology: Ratings are determined through cross-referencing official government records, independent fact-checking organizations, and primary source documents.