Politicians will do anything but fix the cost of living and environment.
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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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The birthrate worry is for the capitalist. Not the consumer
Stop the nonsense about “shrinking tax base”. Australia's government spends as much as it wants any time it wants; Australian government spending does not come from taxation.
People aren't going to be moved to commit to the huge life change of raising a child, by a measly one-time “bonus”. They need a robust system of social support, good wages for reasonable working hours in fair conditions, an end to private monopolies on essentials, housing security. And, as NigelFrobisher points out, meaningful and demonstrated progress to a livable future in the world.
All things that are needed prior to the commitment to raising children. All things our federal government is empowered to do, that it doesn't need to wait for any “tax base” to fund, that will work much better than a “baby bonus”.
Does Australia need our government to use its unilateral power to spend, to meaningfully fight the causes of climate change, to fund universal social services and stop being scared of a fiscal deficit?
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People need to be paid to have vasectomies.
Sbs making nonsense,
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