Government & Politics

Was the Baby Bonus a good or bad idea?

Government & Politics

Posted by: blondie72

28th Nov 2010 10:59am

Was the Baby Bonus a good or bad idea?

Personally I think it was a terrible idea! Paying people to procreate and encouraging teenage pregnancies has to be one of the stupidest ideas any government has ever put forward. I have noticed the cases of child abuse & neglect have doubled since this was introduced, wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that it was encouraging the wrong types of people to have babies or encouraging them to have babies for the wrong reason ie: $5000!

I realise they now dole it out in fortnightly payments over a 6mth period, which is much better but I still think it should be given in non refundable vouchers to Baby-Co and other baby shops for the purchase of baby products ONLY!


Comments 26

david
  • 17th Aug 2011 02:16pm

well said blondie,who does cup up with these stupid ideas

Pammyt43
  • 15th Aug 2011 12:21pm

Bad idea on the $5000 baby bonus but good idea the voucher scheme.

It sounds like our two governments think alike when it comes to vote grabbing except, here in NZ...We don't get the $5000 baby bonus but we do get money to stay at home and look after our baby for up to a year when we go off work to be a parent but after that you are on your own. Go back to work, live off your partners wage or sign up for a domestic purposes benefit if you are unlucky enough to end up being a single parent.

A monetary incentive of that magnitude ie $5000 would be disastrous here...we already have a huge amount of underage young mothers here who get pregnant just to receive the domestic purposes benefit. None of them are prepared for the lifetime commitment and many use their parents as back up drop off points so they can party and have a life lol...What is that mentality? Where did it come from and why are the hard working citizens taxes, footing the bill? I think that if anyone gets pregnant then they shouldn't be allowed to receive the benefit. They should get an allowance for attending parenting and life skill workshops on a weekly day to day basis instead...like going to work and getting a wage. You get paid for each full day (8hrs) that you attend and if you don't, you get docked for the days and or hours you don't attend. No handouts or top ups from Social Welfare unless you can prove that the absence was legitimate and necessary eg. a doctors cert or official letter. This way the baby is there and part of their day. This way they can learn how to be a parent and later on learn other skills to enable them to work when baby is ready for a kindergarten or preschool environment while they work :)

I suppose it all sounds very naiive but if thought through carefully it can work and maybe discourage our young people and people in general from becoming parents and thinking they can be dependent on the governments free money giveaways. Perhaps the pregnancy rate will fall if they knew they had to earn the money they think is owed to them.

What do you all think? NZ isn't much different from Australia in this regard. You guys give $5000 we give them the benefit that they can sit on for up to 7 years or more :) Oh and they pay you more for each subsequent baby you have even if you are on a single parents benefit...now i do think our government tops the list for stupidity...don't you?

david
  • 7th Jun 2011 06:33pm

i actually think it was a good idea,helps young parents out when times are tough.although i do agree that women,mainly young go out and deliberately get themselves pregnant,should not receive this money.they do not look after the kids((some do)they spend the money on themselves.i also agreewith your voucher idea.unfortuneately money buys votes.

Anonymous
  • 3rd Jun 2011 02:41pm

For me personally, it was a horrable idea in regards to those women who don't really want babies but they will have more than 3,4,5 because of the big bonus they'll get.I hope that you would consider that carefully also why don't you provide vouchers just for baby factories and shops so that they can use that money wisely on the kids not on stupid things like gambling or other money games which is so wrong
.

Anonymous
  • 3rd Jun 2011 02:40pm

For me personally, it was a horrable idea in regards to those women who don't really want babies but they will have more than 3,4,5 because of the big bonus they'll get.I hope that you would consider that carefully also why don't you provide vouchers just for baby factories and shops so that they can use that money wisely on the kids not on stupid things like gambling or other money games which is so wrong.

Anonymous
  • 3rd Jun 2011 02:40pm

For me personally, it was a horrable idea in regards to those women who don't really want babies but they will have more than 3,4,5 because of the big bonus they'll get.I hope that you would consider that carefully also why don't you provide vouchers just for baby factories and shops so that they can use that money wisely on the kids not on stupid things like gambling or other money games which is so wrong.

Anonymous
  • 3rd Jun 2011 02:38pm

For me personally, it was a horrable idea in regards to those women who don't really want babies but they will have more than 3,4,5 because of the big bonus they'll get.I hope that you would consider that carefully also why don't you provide vouchers just for baby factories and shops so that they can use that money wisely on the kids not on stupid things like gambling or other money games which is so wrong.

mysteron347
  • 17th May 2011 01:39am

Sad thing is that people nowadays gear their finances to government handouts and subsidies.

Both political tribes have dangled the carrot to grab the crucial voting sector for their next period in office. Every time, a greater and greater section of the community is brought to the 'recipients' side of the ledger and fewer and fewer remain on the 'donors' side.

Neither side can afford to withdraw a benefit once granted for the howl in the press and the baying of their opponents alleging they are 'attacking famlys.'

And the usual suspects vacantly attack the previous government without having the wit to realise that the current zombies are simply tinkering on the edges of what the last batch of incompetents messed up.

I believe that if you can't feed 'em, don't breed 'em. Why should the taxpayer bail out those who choose to produce children as their hobby whilst not similarly subsidising others' holidays abroad?

The breeders are aware that they can simply pop out more kids at will since they can rely on a protective brood of brainless chooks squawking about "it's for the children" when it's simply self-indulgence?

The downside of course is that if people wait until they have established a firm financial base before considering a family.which brings the danger of well-known problems with babies born to older mothers.

And both political parties jumped onto the tandem bandwagon - the 'paternity leave' on top of 'maternity leave.' Fact is that to provide either type, the employer has to engage and train a temp to do the work (at higher cost.) The leave-taker will also have their time taken out maintaining the population ranking equally with time actually doing the job in question in the seniority stakes. And what about some similar package of time off and benefits for those people who do not want to produce children or are incapable of doing so?

But the politicians know they're onto a winner, because the vast majority of people are or have been, breeders. They can ignore the minority. Majority rules...

wowi
  • 14th May 2011 07:33pm

I totally agree with these statements about the baby bonus. One day while waiting at the schoolyard i overhead some women discussing this matter and i was totally saddened by what i heard. A woman around the age of 30+ said that she deliberately got pregnant just to get the baby bonus. Further investigation through people that know this woman have told me that this particular child is neglected and basically has become a thorn in the side of this woman. This is discussing, so it's not just teenagers at fault.

bernmar
  • 12th May 2011 08:50pm

I agree. Most of these people have not contributed taxes but expect the handout and the taxpayer keeping them until school age. There were no handouts when my children were born and now at pension age theres not much left in the kitty for retirement.

homebrewdon
  • 13th Apr 2011 06:41pm

Agree 100%. Discounts on baby clothes, food, and essentials for low income family's...yes.

But handing out cheques only encourages people who wouldn't normally consider children (due to their domestic / economic situation) to start popping them out.

Problem is, like any addiction there will be some severe withdrawls if a future Govt. takes it away.

juleski
  • 26th Feb 2011 07:20pm

Hmm... has anyone who advocates vouchers stopped to think that those items need to be purchased BEFORE the child is born?? Cant take the child home without a car seat !!
I received $2000 with my last child, we purchased another vehicle so that i was not stuck at home.... Does that rate in your voucher system??
Nowhere does it state that the funds must be spent on a particular child item, the whole idea is to help out with the entire family... now days you have a choice, paid parental leave or baby bonus. Are you advocating that the parental leave must also be taken as vouchers?

As for encouraging young mothers... ha.. they will soon learn that a couple of thousand dollars is no where near what is needed to raise a child.

trix56
  • 22nd Nov 2011 09:26pm
Hmm... has anyone who advocates vouchers stopped to think that those items need to be purchased BEFORE the child is born?? Cant take the child home without a car seat !!
I received $2000...

Unfortunately that is just the point. These mothers have no idea what it means to raise a child. And they have absolutely no real intention of raising the child. I have seen far too many many of these children running around in nappies when it's 12 degrees, bare feet and all. Stuck in front of TVs or in their cots for the majority of the day. Unable to speak properly because no-one teaches them. Nits. No toilet training. I could go on and on.
Baby bonus! It's intent was good, it's use not so.

Crazykat
  • 16th Feb 2011 11:08am

It is a VOTE grabbing idea. Once again the government has not thought of the implications of the Baby Bonus. Unfortunately people will go to any length to obtain money and it will encourage the wrong type of people to have babies. At the end of the day it will be the baby/child that will suffer in years to come.

bajo
  • 26th Feb 2011 06:28pm
CONGRATS LASSIE you make a good point..... i think teenage pregnancy is something we can do without, there is no excuse nowadays, brian.

errolsyd
  • 26th Feb 2011 03:36pm
CONGRATS LASSIE you make a good point..... i think teenage pregnancy is something we can do without, there is no excuse nowadays, brian.

Yes you are both correct. Have a look at how many single mothers we have nowdays and it is not unusual for there to be multipull sperm doners for their unwanted children. I know of two cases where there is 5 kids and 3 (fathers).
They are and have been breeding lots of future trouble with these poor children.

bajo
  • 22nd Feb 2011 05:55pm
It is a VOTE grabbing idea. Once again the government has not thought of the implications of the Baby Bonus. Unfortunately people will go to any length to obtain money and it will encourage...

CONGRATS LASSIE you make a good point..... i think teenage pregnancy is something we can do without, there is no excuse nowadays, brian.

Anonymous
  • 8th Feb 2011 10:30am

totally agree with blondie our parents werent paid to have children

bushie
  • 8th Dec 2010 11:33pm

I think it was a bad idea myself as one of my partnes grand-daughters was pregnant at 16 years old and all she could talk about was how muh money she was going to get for HERSELF nothing was mentioned about baby things as she expected everyone else in he family to help her out,this was when the baby bons was increased the 3rd time since then she has had another child &she plonks them down in front of the TV when they get up in the morning for hours. My opinion is that the Mothercraft classes should be brought back into schools and all students not just the girls.
Money is easy come easy go to young people who have little ones toare for when the mentality is money for this and money for that a lot of money is wasted by the Government in this area alone.

What about the day care centres; check out how many single mothers dump their children at subsidised fees and working mums have to pay through the nose just to get by and the unemployed get the cheap rates!!! Where is the country going wrong! Wake up Australia.
Yes I have 6 adult children myself & did it all on a weekly wage and paying babysitters just to put food on the table after I was left on my own,no handouts then like there is now.
What was the age of the youngest to have a child after this was introduced....I heard on a talk back radio that there was a 12 year old in NSW rural area.
Let us hope that the government wake up to themselves.

Pammyt43
  • 15th Aug 2011 12:03pm
I think it was a bad idea myself as one of my partnes grand-daughters was pregnant at 16 years old and all she could talk about was how muh money she was going to get for HERSELF nothing was...

It sounds like our two governments think alike when it comes to vote grabbing except, here in NZ...We don't get the $5000 baby bonus but we do get money to stay at home and look after our baby for up to a year when we go off work to be a parent but after that you are on your own. Go back to work, live off your partners wage or sign up for a domestic purposes benefit if you are unlucky enough to end up being a single parent. A monetary incentive of that magnitude ie $5000 would be disastrous here...we already have a huge amount of underage young mothers here who get pregnant just to receive the domestic purposes benefit. None of them are prepared for the lifetime commitment and many use their parents as back up drop off points so they can party and have a life lol...What is that mentality? Where did it come from and why are the hard working citizens taxes, footing the bill? I think that if a child gets pregnant then they shouldn't be allowed to receive the benefit but get an allowance for attending parenting and life skill workshops on a weekly day to day basis instead...like going to work and getting a wage. You get paid for each full day (8hrs) that you attend and if you don't, you get docked for the days and or hours you don't attend. No handouts or top ups from Social Welfare unless you can prove that the absence was legitimate and necessary eg. a doctors cert or official letter. This way the baby is there and part of their day. They can learn how to be a parent and later on learn other skills to enable them to work when baby is ready for a kindergarten or preschool environment while they work :)

I suppose it all sounds very naiive but if thought through carefully it can work and maybe discourage our young people and people in general from becoming parents and thinking they can be dependent on the governments free money giveaways. Perhaps the pregnancy rate will fall if they knew they had to earn the money they think is owed to them.

What do you all think? NZ isn't much different from Australia in this regard. You guys give $5000 we give them the benefit that they can sit on for up to 7 years or more :) Oh and they pay you more for each subsequent baby you have even if you are on a single parents benefit...now i do think our government tops the list for stupidity...don't you?

harrio
  • 8th Dec 2010 01:33pm

I do not think that the Baby Bonus was a good idea. I worked in a Govt Dept and we had som many very young mothers coming in to claim the bonus who quite obviously had no idea of mothering skills and were only interested in obtaining the money. Just how much of the money was actually spent on the baby was a mystery as, whenever you saw them again it was apparent that very little of the money was ever spent on them for necessities.DM

Gypsy
  • 30th Nov 2010 07:03pm

I think it was a good idea only it was too much, I believe the amount of $3,000 maybe given as a voucher for a store to purchase things for bub, and prehaps extra payment for the first 3 months
Now the Government are only looking after the working mums, Now paying woman in the workforce a maternity pay when they have their baby, I disagree with this. I believe you have a kid, you should bring it up. Woman with children have proved this is whats wrong, they blame everyone else for the child getting into trouble first with schooling, they say he teachers should be bringing the child up and showing them how to behave, then when they get older, not much changes only now it's the police fault, it's is never the parent, and really this is true, how could you blame the parent when they didn't have anything to do with the up briinging.
Have your child, bring them up, when they reach school age, go back to work parttime, anything so long as you are there when your child comes home, amd of course be eligible for the baby bonus
The single parents that are on the centrelink payments and the parent stay at home pay the baby bonus to them as well, you never now the turn around of childs behaviour may change, it will be the centrelink parent and stay at home mum child is considered well behaved.

Gypsy
  • 30th Nov 2010 07:05pm
I think it was a good idea only it was too much, I believe the amount of $3,000 maybe given as a voucher for a store to purchase things for bub, and prehaps extra payment for the first 3...

For the record, I do not have children, I wasn't lucky in that area, therefore I am not on either side of woman working or staying at home
Cheers

Pookie
  • 30th Nov 2010 05:24pm

I agree! So many poor little babies being born addicted to amphets now. Such a bad idea. John Howards bad idea.

19chris51
  • 30th Nov 2010 05:47pm
I agree! So many poor little babies being born addicted to amphets now. Such a bad idea. John Howards bad idea.

great minds, think alike

19chris51
  • 29th Nov 2010 02:26pm

yes blondie72,I completely agree with you,

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