Australia Has Baby Boom After Gov't Push

[Judi Lynn]

Australia Has Baby Boom After Gov't Push
By ROD McGUIRK
The Associated Press

(March 30, 2005 4:57 AM)


CANBERRA, Australia - Australia's government said that having babies is a patriotic duty and promised to pay accordingly - and its citizens appear to have answered the call.

The 133,400 babies born in the six months ending in September were the most in a half-year period in 14 years, according to recent figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The government - responding to a falling birth rate, looming labor market shortage and shrinking tax base - had offered to give mothers $2,319 for each baby born after July 1 last year.

In announcing the payments in May 2004, Treasurer Peter Costello told the country: "You go home and do your patriotic duty tonight."
(snip/...)

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/92-03302005-469615.html

[truthisfreedom]

1. fun! wow, a government who has a sense of humor...

and a (re)productive one at that.

[rooboy]

2. Now wish those families lots of luck.

That cash payment doesn't go far. And since most Australian families require both parents to be working, watch as one partner sacrifices almost their entire weeks' pay on paying for child care whilst they're off at work. Of course, that's IF they can find a child care center with available slots in the first place. Last weekend a local child care center was taking names for 2008, and there were parents literally queuing up from five o'clock in the morning so they didn't miss out. God help us.

[Spinzonner]

3. Looks like they were doing more than Waltzing Matilda

[no_hypocrisy]

4. Hitler paid mothers to have babies (besides Lebensboren).

And the more children that were born, the mothers got upgraded "Mutterschaft" medals. I think 6 children equaled gold.

[D-Notice]

5. I think it was:

4 kiddies = Bronze
6 kiddies = Silver
8 kiddies = Gold

(trying to remember history lessons in high school!)

Wonder if this included multiple-births or if you had to have each one seperatly? ;-)

[Mend]

6. If they need more people, they might

consider opening their country to more immigrants or unwanted Chinese baby girls....just a thought.

[rooboy]

7. Australia is looking for skilled immigrants...

and who is going to adopt Chinese kids when they would rather have kids of their own?

[DrRang]

8. Australia overpopulated now, according to "Collapse"

Just read Jared Diamond's book "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed." I highly recommend it, but it was very surprising in its discussion of how stressed the Australian environment already is, with very poor soil subject to erosion, exhaustion and salinization--not at all the image I had of Australia as a new frontier. They've already cut down most of their forests, and have awful problems with species imported by the Brits, like rabbits and foxes.

[blindpig]

9. stupid

if you think like a primitive you're liable to die like a primitive.

[Gregorian]

10. They could be fools. Just perhaps.

That's 133,400 more cars. And energy to run them. And trees to build their houses. And water. And food. And where does it end? Twelve billion? When there's no more room to house. When there are no more trees? No more air to breathe? When does it stop? Just curious. I got mine. Where are they going to get theirs? I think it's terribly inconsiderate of the parents, as well as those who would rather live in a quieter, cleaner world. Good luck, you poor kids.