Prime Minister Tony Abbott has denied he has broken a pledge not to cut funding to the ABC and SBS, telling Parliament his government had "fundamentally kept faith with the Australian people".

The comments were Mr Abbott's first on budget changes to the ABC since a $254 million reduction was announced by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull last week.

In question time on Monday, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten asked Mr Abbott about comments he made in an interview on SBS TV on the night before last year's election, in which he vowed there would be "no cuts to education, no cuts to health, no change to pensions, no change to the GST and no cuts to the ABC or SBS." The Opposition Leader moved a censure motion against Mr Abbott, saying the Prime Minister had broken his promise.

Much of Labor's attack centred on Mr Abbott's commitment there would be no cuts to the two public broadcasters, following an announcement from ABC managing director Mark Scott on Monday in which he detailed the programs and services that would be affected by a $254 million funding reduction.