Fact Check

Australia's economic ranking - International whale kills (1x4)

Uitzenddatum: Apr 11, 2014

Global competitiveness, government regulation and productivity growth: Where does Australia rank? Fact Check finds Tony Abbott is quoting questionable reports on the economy. Prime Minister Tony Abbott recently highlighted two international surveys that challenge the belief that Australia's economic performance has been a standout. In the House of Representatives on March 19, he said: "On the World Economic Forum's global competitiveness ranking, Australia has slipped six places in four years to 21st. Australia's ranking on the burden of government regulation is 128th - yes, 128th in the world, nestled between Romania and Angola. On The Economist's productivity growth ranking, we come second last, just ahead of Botswana." Given the importance of Australia's economic competitiveness and productivity growth, ABC Fact Check investigates these claims. -- Whaling around the world: How Japan's catch compares. Fact Check finds Japan's international whaling comparison is spin. Japan has announced it will not continue whaling in the Antarctic, after the International Court of Justice ruled its "scientific" program was illegal. Australia brought the action challenging Japan on the grounds the program was not scientific. Defending the program after the ICJ ruling, a spokesman for the Japanese delegation to the court said many other countries continue to hunt and kill whales. "It's not only Japan that is engaged in whaling. It's almost nearly 10 countries in the world, including the United States, Canada, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Russia among others," Nori Shikata told ABC radio's AM program. ABC Fact Check investigates which countries are whaling.