Labour to cut tax benefit for parents who choose not to vaccinate

[glenny_c]

Labor to cut tax benefit for parents who don't immunise children - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Only exemptions will be medical or religious grounds

[Schmickers]

Quite disgusted by this policy to be honest.

[PumpkinZulu]

So they're basically forcing lower income families into vaccinating? **** this world, I swear.

[Phteven]

Meh. Government health policy is to encourage vaccination. If they want to withhold a.$700 payment from people who choose not to vaccinate I don't give a ****. If you believe vaccinations are toxic then you won't risk your child's health for the sake of $700 if you'll change your mind for $700 then you probably aren't that convinced by the anti-vaccination arguments.
We don't have an automatic right to expect every government payment especially if the payment is to encourage a policy that we don't adhere to.

[Rouge]

What I find offensive is the notion that people who are poorer than others will sell out on their children's health for $700. Yeah no. That's more offensive than the actual policy. It's no different than accusing people of procreating to get the baby bonus.

[AnyDream]

IMHO the # of true conscientious objectors in this country is a fraction of the # of people who just didn't quite get around to it. Especially in low socio-economic areas. Providing a strong financial incentive will increase vacc rates significantly in those communities and is likely to save the public health system a bucket load of cash in not having to treat quite nasty complications that arise in otherwise (statistically) preventable disease.

[HotI]

IMHO the # of true conscientious objectors in this country is a fraction of the # of people who just didn't quite get around to it. Especially in low socio-economic areas. Providing a strong financial incentive will increase vacc rates significantly in those communities and is likely to save the public health system a bucket load of cash in not having to treat quite nasty complications that arise in otherwise (statistically) preventable disease.

But that already exists. For those who don't get around to getting vaccines, they miss out on the bonus. My understanding is that the changes only affect current conscientious objectors - at the moment with a CO form they are considered up to date for centrelink reasons, with the changes they will no longer be considered up to date.

[AnyDream]

Well I guess we'll find out how strongly held those conscientious objections are.

Don't get me wrong, this is a complex issue. But it's also true that its an area where some families may be vulnerable to ambigious information/misinformation in the public sphere. The latest research shows that many (young especially) parents rely on the opinions of the particular community they find themselves in, rather than getting good information. Until this point, "doing nothing" (ie choosing not to vaccinate) has not had any ramifications. Objection-friendly doctors are well known in particular communities. So it has created a situation for parents who have a level of doubt, possibly because they know others who are not vaccinating (or they saw the scary videos on youtube), but they haven't looked at any quality information, and so it's easier just not to vacc at all. $721 x 3 creates an incentive to get some more information and come down strongly on one side or the other.

FWIW, this is the sort of policy that will be dead easy to track statistically. If there's a surge in vaccinations it will show the policy has been successful. But if the increase is small they will know pretty quickly (ie 1-3 years) that they have misjudged the anti-vax sentiment & the policy is disadvantaging some families unnecessarily. Certainly in time for the following federal election.

I appreciate the timing is not great for true conscientious objecting parents who have children now at an age who will be affected. On the other hand, most families are affected at one time or another by the rise and fall of government generosity, often for much more arbitrary reasons than this. At least this is tied to trying to get a positive (ie measurable) public health outcome out of it.

[PumpkinZulu]

FWIW, this is the sort of policy that will be dead easy to track statistically. If there's a surge in vaccinations it will show the policy has been successful. But if the increase is small they will know pretty quickly (ie 1-3 years) that they have misjudged the anti-vax sentiment & the policy is disadvantaging some families unnecessarily. Certainly in time for the following federal election.

This is very true.

[Heaven]

Wow. That disgusts me. Won't change my mind though. Although will probably change my vote.

[Calluna]

700 a year is a huge deal to us. It wont change my mind but it will make it much harder to live. Guess we'll be living on pasta rice and 2 min noodles for the forseable future. That will be very healthy for my children.
That 13-14 dollars a week will make a difference to us.

[Tinks]

But you're not getting it weekly anyway. It's the end of financial year supplement they're talking about. So, continue to eat as you're already eating.

[Calluna]

But you're not getting it weekly anyway. It's the end of financial year supplement they're talking about. So, continue to eat as you're already eating.

As far as Im aware, I AM getting all of my FTB (A and B) fortnightly and the difference is corrected at the end of financial year depending on my OH salary. I thought that is what I nominated when I applied. But maybe I misinterpreted/ forgot/ that has changed since then.
If Im not, then you're right, it wont make much difference to me and I have nothing to worry about. (Except that we use the reconcilliation at the eofy to pay car rego/ other big things that we struggle to manage throughout the year)

[Trillian]

As far as Im aware, I AM getting all of my FTB (A and B) fortnightly and the difference is corrected at the end of financial year depending on my OH salary. I thought that is what I nominated when I applied. But maybe I misinterpreted/ forgot/ that has changed since then.
If Im not, then you're right, it wont make much difference to me and I have nothing to worry about. (Except that we use the reconcilliation at the eofy to pay car rego/ other big things that we struggle to manage throughout the year)

Calluna, you can't be getting all of it, you might be getting as much as you are entitled to get, but they still keep the supplement part until your OH gets his tax done and then when they reconcile, that's when you get your top up payment and the supplement would be part of that payment

[Amity]

Those with family incomes over about $150K don't care anyway because they don't get FTBA. It won't make a squid of difference to me as my kids are older. It really only makes a difference to those with kids under 5 or who are planning on having kids.

I just saw (one party's) parental leave policy. They are planning a government-funded paid parental leave for 6 months post baby at whatever your income was pre-baby. That's going to create all sorts of issues for high-income earning women. Six months paid if the woman earns $500k per year... and they've only budgeted $5.5 billion don't know how that's going to work.

Mind you - these are all just policies for them to get voted in on. They may very well change (or not pass through the Lower House/Upper House) in the format that they are currently being "sold" in.

Interesting debate though.

[briggsy's girl]

As far as Im aware, I AM getting all of my FTB (A and B) fortnightly and the difference is corrected at the end of financial year depending on my OH salary. I thought that is what I nominated when I applied. But maybe I misinterpreted/ forgot/ that has changed since then.
If Im not, then you're right, it wont make much difference to me and I have nothing to worry about. (Except that we use the reconcilliation at the eofy to pay car rego/ other big things that we struggle to manage throughout the year)

If you receive full ftba supplement its a rate of 1.99 per day per child that you cannot physically receive during the year. So just short of $30 a fortnight you CANNOT choose to receive until after your tax is finalised. It's a daily rate. The same as every other payment.

Eta. You are most likely receiving all the entitlement you can on a fortnight basis. This is part of the ftb you cannot get fortnightly

[PumpkinZulu]

Yeah it won't change my mind either. For me this is just another step in a direction I am completely uncomfortable with. I think it's toeing a delicate line.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Wow. In the UK we are given NO baby bonus, FTB or vax payment. Sure, there are some payments for families with no wage, and a modcum of tax returned for workers with children, but no financial incentives.

If you "need" a $700 payment to have a child, can you afford to keep that child at a decent standard of living for 16-20 years? Maybe this policy is not a bad one if it makes people think.