Tony Abbott has finally admitted he broke his promise not to make funding cuts to the ABC.
Labor has been pressuring the prime minister to admit he lied to the Australian public when he declared before the 2013 election there would be "no cuts to the ABC or SBS".
The $300 million in cuts, as well as a swag of other policy hiccups, had Mr Abbott admitting on Monday his government had experienced a "ragged week".
"What we are doing with the ABC is at odds with what I said immediately prior to the election, but things have moved on," Mr Abbott told reporters in Canberra.
He said sensible governments were expected to alter tactics when circumstances changed, citing a bigger-than-expected budget deficit Labor left the coalition.
Mr Abbott's comments came after release of a redacted version of an efficiency review of the ABC and SBS.
The government has criticised the ABC for cutting rural and regional programs as part of efficiency savings, arguing those measures were been made for political reasons.
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull said one "back-of-house" measure not mentioned in the study was streamlining transmission and distribution costs which is being reviewed separately.
Combined, they would be "well in excess of the budget savings required", he said.
ABC managing director Mark Scott fronted a Senate hearing in Canberra on Monday, denying the broadcaster was using funding cuts as cover for its decision to axe state-based programs and services.
He revealed consultants as far back as 2008 had advised him to shut down state-based production studios.
He had chosen not to pursue the recommendation, but the government's funding cuts meant he "needed to go to the bottom drawer" to find savings.
FIVE KEY SAVINGS FOR ABS AND SBS:
* Work together more in human resources, legal and business affairs, and accounting.
* Harness new technologies, including the introduction of pay-per-view for older online TV content.
* Modernise the business with less buying and building, more hiring and loaning.
* Identify more revenue opportunities including the leasing of unused office space in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
* Better resource allocation such as centralising switchboard operations to Sydney.
(Source: Lewis review)
