It is part of an ongoing Australian Research Council (ARC) funded Discovery Project, ‘Promissory democratic representation: Campaign promises in Australia’, led by Chief Investigator and RMIT Associate Dean, Communication Professor Lisa Waller.
Waller said the tracker is an essential tool for voters in the lead up to the 2025 Federal Election, providing independent analysis to inform and engage the public.
“The Election Promise Tracker is designed to keep voters informed about how well the Labor government has kept its promises over this parliamentary term.” she said.
“In a very noisy media landscape where misinformation and disinformation online is rife, the tracker provides an independent and research-informed assessment of whether the government has done what it said it would.”
“It speaks to the core purpose of the new RMIT Information Integrity Hub – to provide members of the public with the tools and critical awareness to verify the information they’re encountering and make informed decisions.”
The online tool shows the status of 66 promises using five categories: delivered, in progress, stalled, thwarted or broken. It relies on data drawn from the findings of the ARC Discovery Project and provides a transparent evidence base to support its conclusions.
With the election date set for May 3, a final assessment of the Albanese government’s record is now available on the tracker.
The Hub’s activities also extend into the School of Media and Communication’s education programs, with academics engaging directly with undergraduate and postgraduate journalism and communication students to teach them critical thinking skills to combat misinformation.
The Hub also offers training for industry, government and community-based organisations in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.
This includes helping journalists and professional communicators understand how to use digital tools and resources to verify information.
Professor Lisa French, Dean of the School of Media and Communication, said the Information Integrity Hub is an important initiative to consolidate the School’s new and existing research and education in this space.
“Digital technology has supercharged the creation, spread and consumption of information, and with it has come information pollution that not only sows mistrust and confusion but also sharpens existing socio-cultural divisions,” she said.
“In a world where social media and the internet touches on almost every aspect of society, the need to minimise the risks posed by harmful digital information has never been greater.”
“As a school renowned for our strong industry and community connections, our work through the Information Integrity Hub, building on our already well-developed skillset, will further equip our students with work-ready skills, open up collaborative networks for our researchers and contribute to the health of public information for the greater good.”
