Comments on: Time for a baby bonus rebirthing

By: Ben

Ben — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Oh John James! You crazy fellow. Yet another unnecessary segue into abortion. Well done.
I believe the way Joshua Gans has proposed to slowly let off the baby bonus bit by bit is a great idea. We simply need more immigration, and have some sort of scheme to allow our expatriates to return home, at least temporarily, seeing as we obviously must not give experts from foreign countries any opportunites at life here at all, for the good of their respective nations, and not because of xenophobia. No, not at all.

By: pamela curr

pamela curr — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Friend with new babe reports Maternity nurse visit conversation. “This is the first house this week that i have visited, which does not have a new Plasma TV box at the back door.”

By: JB

JB — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I am expecting a baby in May and, given the mediocre paid maternity leave provisions, the baby bonus will be a more than welcome money bundle this year. How about asking expectant women what they think? All the writers mentioned above are econ-men!!

By: Woman

Woman — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I believe that the baby bonus would be far more beneficial if it were targeted in the form of services to mothers & babies (for example, home visits by baby health nurses for the first few months of life). This might prevent soaring child abuse statistics

By: John James

John James — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Immigration is not the solution. Certainly immigration can arrest the crisis but you want kids for your school system and universities and TAFE colleges. Also by taking third world countries skilled workforce you exacerbate the terrible problems .

By: John James # 4

John James # 4 — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

..we see infolding overseas. We are currently taking doctors from overseas to address our shortages but compounding the struggle these nations have to care for their popoulations. Nations like Japan and Western Europe are in decline and are near terminal.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I’ve heard that the Rudd Government might be cancelling the baby bonus. If so then it will be a Liberal Govt that gets into office at the next Federal Election. The Baby Bonus is, of course, abused by some people. For example, you see and hear of new parents buying that PLASMA they always wanted but couldn’t afford. However, as a father-to-be, whom at the moment is a low-income earner, I find most of the comments insulting. My wife and I are definitely not rich, and the Baby Bonus will be comforting and help alleviate the rising costs of parenting! We plan to use this $5000 to spend on items the baby needs, i.e. Nappies, Wipes, Formula, Clothing maybe etc etc. Also if we have enough left, I would like to deposit $500-$1000 into my future child’s bank account, and watch it grow interest, so that by the time he/she is 18, they have money to either put a deposit on a house, buy a car, or pay for university education.
I do agree that the elderly and the disabled are not looked after properly, both by the Rudd and previous Howard governments, and agree that their pensions should be increased, and would be glad to sacrifice a grand or two off the current baby bonus figure, to help alleviate the suffering that a lot of elderly and disabled people face.

Jamie

By: Darren Holmes

Darren Holmes — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Absolutely! Immigration is the sensible alternative. We must limit our welfare to smarter support of society, not pilfer our funds on pointless schemes. Put the cash in to better aged care - probably get more votes too!
BTW I am a long way from retiring!

By: John James

John James — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

The Labour administration will spend millions of dollars this year funding the killing of tens of thousands of unborn children through Medicare but are now floating the concept of taking away the bonus provided to new mothers. Typical!

By: John James

John James — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

How dumb is that? No senior citizens will be living with any dignity if there is not the population base to sustain the social services and taxatuion revenue required. Wake up and realise the ‘demographic winter’ that is coming. Whole nations are dying !

By: Angela

Angela — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Joshua Gans is right. Cancel the baby bonus. If you can’t afford to have children, then don’t have them. I’d rather my taxes went to increasing pensions for senior citizens so they can at least live with dignity.