apparently it will cost them more to implement the means testing... where is the logic?

Exactly. If they are not saving any money, why do it?

They are doing it because they are socialists, and socialists are anti-wealth. Simple.

I'm probably a few dollars up, but it will be offset by the huge increase in my private insurance premium.

wealth is a relative concept, what use is 20 million in the bank if the health, education and infrastructure systems cannot support a reasonable society.

What use is expansive wealth to you if your son/daughter is in constant danger of violence from an economic subclass of people who have no hope and nothing to lose ?

Thinking ahead I see..............

Australia works because it has a mix of wealthy and non-wealthy people. We are a rich country adn rich countries can afford decent welfare systems. Poor countries cannot. Our state/private health system works (it might be creaking a bit but it works) and is sustainable. Labor is looking like it wants to dismantle this - a step backwards IMO.

Your 'economic subclass of people who have no hope and nothing to lose' is a tiny part of Australian society so does not apply to us. Go and have a look at Zimbabwe, Burma or China for your scenario.

Socialism is a mediocre system and produces mediocre people.

It looks good, makes them seem to be hitting the well off. PR stunt basically.

As others have said the figure the last 12 months or so for families over 150,000 is 3% the cuts to those people will probably be insignificant but the 'battlers' love to hear those who like to work hard are getting a kick in the nuts. Clever spin

Maybe not nuts but mentally ill, or on drugs or with severe social problems or economic problems, or basically no hope or education, makes a 5000 cash payment the follow up 20 k a year pension, housing comission house, welfare card........

Quite tempting, yep not to me or you but to many people it has been.

Totally agree, what a pile of crap.
I think it a bloody cheek to say budget for the working families, what the f$%$ does he think the rest of are then
All he's basically done is said middle income family's I dont give a toss about you, you already pay me more in tax so as a thank you i'll take away some of the benefits I give you...

I also didnt get why there expecting unemployment to go up? is this because he's giving more handouts now so people will give up working and not contribute at all

I never mentioned socialism in my response to you.

I agree that we are a "Rich" or wealthy country, and we should use that to safeguard the future for those less fortunate in our society, there is nothing socialistic in that, altruism and mitigation of future risks in our society is a wise move and it would benefit us all.

You are probably moaning about a 4-5K maximum per annum tax difference to you personally, when in reality such an amount would make little or no difference to the quality of your life {or mine for that matter}. To those at the bottom of the "wealth" heap, it would have a much better impact.

I cannot understand people who begrudge this monetary benefit to those/and where it would benefit most.

I also have to disagree that socialism uniquely produced medocre people, I suggest that our current society based on "business" achievements and Business Degrees with Leadership electives tacked on like a badge of experience, produces very very mediocre people, but good robots.

That is an incredibly elitist and pompous thing to say!

Who are you the genetics police! Maybe you should read up on Hitler's judgement on who was allowed to breed.

The truth hurts, anyway they are going to give it back fortnightly instead of a lump sum so people won't be able to spend it on jetskis and plasmas.

are they paying fortnightly to everyone or just certain people

I think the fortnightly payment is a great idea. It means that people ARE more likely to spend it on the baby or to put it into savings for the child. Rather than it being the "plasma bonus" (as it's referred to around here).

I can see why it may have been handy to have it in a lump sum, especially if it's meant to act as some form of equivalent of "maternity pay" but I'm happy with the new payment idea.

I think before now anyone under 18 who qualified for it had to get it given to them in fortnightly payments rather than a lump sum. Which implied that under18s were more likely to waste it on a big purchase than older parents... which is a bit unfair. Not all teen-parents are irresponsible hoodlums. And not all middle-class "executive" parents are responsible either.

Hi al,

sorry i am not there yet but just wanted to ask if or will this benefit my family in anyway? we are coming over on a 457 visa and will have our 4 children with us, hubby will be on about $55k-$60, now does the tax bit help us and are they adding new jobs to the skilled section? We are going to NSW by the way, and no i dont intend on having anymore children i have 6 but only 4 are coming with us.

basically will we be any better off?

michell

On the 457 you will not be entitled to the Family Tax Benefit or the Baby Bonus AT ALL. Not until you go for a PR visa. We came over on a 457 and really "missed" the Family Tax Benefit - we used to get child benefit & basic tax credits in the UK so it was a shock to get nothing towards our child over here.

You will also have to pay $4500 per child per year for school, in addition to the normal school fees (of about $600/year in primary). This is because 457 children aren't given funding by the state to attend school so you have to pay that extra levy.

If you send your kids to private school, you don't have to pay that extra $4500. One of my friends lives up on the central coast and it's cheaper for her to send her son to a private school rather than pay the extra $4500 for state school - go figure.

No idea re the rest of the tax issue or whether they'll be adding more jobs into the skilled bit. From the little I've read (ok, just the headlines on Yahoo), it sounds like unemployment will be rising so I doubt they'll be offering more jobs on the Skilled List as they're trying to curb jobs here as it is, if that makes sense.

HTH a bit