More budget idiocy
Young mothers will be recruited to a Federal Government schools campaign to warn teenagers from having children just to get the $4000 baby bonus.
Tuesday night's Budget contained $500,000 for an educational campaign to help teenagers understand the ongoing financial consequences of having a baby.
Stories abounded after the introduction of the baby bonus in July 2004 that some teens thought the payment, now worth $4133, was easy money. And the teens, it was said, were spending the money on partying, not prams.
Although most social workers were sceptical that the problem was widespread, the Government responded by changing the rules.
Has there been any evidence that the baby bonus has sparked a slew of teenage bogan pregnancies and flat screen televisions? Anywhere??????? Hellooooo? Evidence.
Sigh. What a crock.
Labels: Australian Politics
posted by patrick @ 9:16 AM
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10 Comments:
Teenage bogans have been squeezing out kids since practically the dawn of time. $4000 hasn't changed much, but it is a waste of money. Better to pour it all into community health care in areas where the teenage bogan birthrate is really high to ensure they and their kids get proper healthcare rather than ensuring they can afford to continue their cigarette habit... too bad Howard doesn't actually give a shit.
Exactly.
"Bogans" have babies, but the smarter girls either abort them, don't get pregnant, or stay virgins...?
Sorry to be disapproving, but
>:-I
'evidence'?
just for interest, here's data about rates of teenage pregnancies and abortions.
http://www.npsu.unsw.edu.au/NPSUweb.nsf/resources/AMB_2004_2008/$file/ps18.pdf
it doesn't say anything about motives, though. perhaps I should find some research about that, and fwd it to the government.
i wonder if they will bring back pauline hansen's policy suggestion that single mothers should only get welfare for one child on the basis that, "the first one is a mistake, but after that they know where babies come from..."
Thanks for the table Justine. I hope they don't introduce that policy.
Mind you, as idiotic as I think the idea that people are having babies for the bonus is, I still think the bonus is a bad idea.
I think rebates or cash bonuses of any variety are a bad idea - I believe it's a fairly inefficient way of getting services to the people who need it, at a fairly high cost.
Sigh, I'm all about the infrastructure!
:) what if I told you the Norwegian state give you money when you have a kid?
lol! I still think it's a bad idea!
Agree with Patrick- I think it's better to put that money into services for those mothers.
As for "Bogans" have babies, but the smarter girls either abort them, don't get pregnant, or stay virgins...?
Not exactly sure what you mean, but I grew up in Kempsey, so perhaps you'll forgive me for being cynical.
since when were you against subsidies patrick? :p though i do agree, cash only subsidies are a bad idea in principle. the point of a subsidy is that it's for something. unfortunately cash can be used for anything.
Well, that's true. Subsidise everything I say!
But not directly...
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