RR Phantom
Location : Wasted Space Job/hobbies : Cayman Islands Actuary
| Subject: Good stuff: OZschwitz statists slash the parasitical 'baby bonus' from $5K to $3K Sun Nov 04, 2012 6:38 pm | |
| Perhaps the most surprising thing about the federal government's decision to slash the baby bonus is how little outrage it provoked.
Wayne Swan's reining in the budget by reducing the baby bonus from $5000 to $3000 for second and subsequent children was overshadowed by Tony Abbott's unfailing capacity to shoot himself in the foot. Rather than debating the impact of the cuts on families, and future economic growth, commentary focused on Abbott's dog whistle about the Prime Minister's childlessness.
While many of us have been willing to grab the money and run, we've never really been entirely convinced that the baby bonus is a good thing.
This ambivalence is reflected in the fact that the baby bonus has, almost since its inception, been more jokingly known as the ''plasma bonus'', hinting that the money is spent, not on a newborn, but on a new telly. Advertisement
In reality, many new parents relied on the baby bonus not only to buy baby equipment but also to fund maternity leave.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/baby-bonus-more-about-votes-than-giving-parents-a-helping-hand-20121104-28rzu.html#ixzz2BIfziz2o
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