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Does Australia need another baby bonus as it faces a birth rate struggle? (www.sbs.com.au)
submitted 6 days ago by to c/australia@aussie.zone
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[–] 12 points 6 days ago* (6 children)

I never understood the Baby Bonus as a financial incentive. I understand people wanting kids, just not how the Baby Bonus would change anyone's choice.

The bonus was something like $5K? But doesn't raising a kid cost hundreds of thousands of dollars over 16 to 18 years? From a financial perspective, that would have to be one of the stupidest deals of all time. $5K is two-fifths of fuck all in comparison.

And somehow, it seemed to work, and birth rates increased.

I just don't get it.

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  • [–] 11 points 6 days ago

    It was attractive to the financially irresponsible, who would do anything for $5k without giving it thought.

    Those kids are now mid to late teens, and you can see how that turned out. It's a bit like crime suddenly dropping in New York 15 to 20 years after legalised abortions.

    I don't want to see the scheme return.

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  • [–] 4 points 5 days ago (1 child)

    never understood the Baby Bonus as a financial incentive

    i had a mate whos GF was a social worker at the time, talking to her one night she said she was overwhelmed by women who'd been forced into having a kid so their partner could collect the $5K

    it was an appalling piece of legislation.

    it doesn't matter what, when. women can self determine and have control of thier own money and careers they mostly chose to have 2 kids or less. 2.1 is a stable population.

    fuck, expanding populations, stupidest of ideas (no i don't mean anti-migration)

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  • [–] 3 points 6 days ago (2 children)

    Stupid people are more likely to breed stupid people, who grow up to be duopoly voters.

    The suggestion at the time was that the baby bonus was mainly spent on large screen tv's.

    One nation wasn't an issue during the 1st baby bonus, the sbs clearly hasn't thought this through.

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