Baby Bonus Working: Leftists Gag

By AR - 2006 saw the highest number of births registered in Australia since the early 1970s. Some of this increase has been attributed to the Howard Government's non-means tested baby bonus. With most developed countries showing declining rates of fertility, this is surely good news. Of course it is, but not to your average leftist.

The Weekend Australian has some devastating statistics showing that the fastest growing increases in claims for the baby bonus came from... Affluent Suburbs. Egads, the rich are breeding! This fact is apparently symbolic of the baby bonus failing according to Griffith University economics professor Ross Guest who described the data as further proof the bonus was not responsible for Australia's increased fertility rate and was an inefficient use of taxpayer funds.

Six months ago Professor Guest complained that the Howard "Government's budgetary razor gang vetoed a proposal to spend a $100 million expenditure program to reduce childhood obesity. Yet it seems that it is OK to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the baby bonus." With new Kevin07 Government in place, the Professor has a sympathetic ear: Families Minister Jenny Macklin last night refused to endorse the baby bonus as a mechanism to increase Australia's fertility rate but said the Government had no plans to scrap it.

Yet.

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