Don't get me started about the baby bonus.
It is an incentive for the lower socioeconomic classes to reproduce. Even if it there for the rich, it is not an incentive for them - they are wealthy enough that the baby bonus doesn't go into the equation of having a child. But is does for the lower SES group. Unless you have more money at the other end (once the child is born and is growing up), then you will just be expanding the numbers and burden of lower SES classes, and therefore increasing their disadvantage.
On the other end, those families just getting by on 150k or who are working to get their 150k, because they do not get the BB, they need to go back to work or else they get no money. That produces the disadvantage of less mother-child bonding, less breast feeding, greater family stress and also the risk of infection for children going to organised childcare and also the risk on early development from going to childcare too early. Those on 150k won't have enough to support a nanny so they would send their babies to childcare.
Child care is good, but starting too early - there are possible risks to their development.
Also, Australia's standard of paid maternity leave is one of the worse if not the worst in 1st world industrialised countries. May be US is worse, but why would we want to compare ourselves to them?
Some have thoughts of changing the BB to a support in the way of paid maternity leave. This should not be means tested as you want people to be at work but stay home during that crucial period.
Australia does not have a system of compulsory paid maternity leave.
Having this owuld encourge working women to have children, support them in the early months of a child - crucial in their development, and also getting them back to work.
Told you not to get me started!
i think what people seem to forget is that the government is a representative of the people. i find it laughable the ignorance of some people who think they are a bunch of people who try and pinch our pockets wherever they can.
the very difference between social and liberal policy is that social thinks we are a collective that should work together, while liberals consider society a grouping of individuals. Labor has decided the top end can afford to pay a little extra on their car in order to fund expenditure somewhere else, i support that entirely. the same principle applies to taking the baby bonus from those earning 150k+
now one can argue till the cows come home about the cut off point for this tax, but thats an entirely different debate. half the inflation problem in this country is caused by people spending more than they can afford on their items, hopefully this tax just makes those people think a little harder when they purchase.