Slowly but surely a clearer picture is beginning to emerge over the claims in Australia’s biggest selling Sunday newspaper – including a misguided denouncement by the Editor, no less – that Barnaby Joyce had called for a doubling of the baby bonus.
First, Barnaby’s media release.
And, this from ABC News (emphasis added):
Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce says he is sceptical about the baby bonus and thinks it should be reviewed.
Senator Joyce has disputed News Limited newspaper reports he is pushing Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to make an election commitment to double the bonus to $10,000.
He says the plan to boost the payment was something the Nationals floated before the last election, but he is not in favour of it.
“I can assure you I don’t believe in doubling the baby bonus. I think that would be a ludicrous idea,” Mr Joyce said.
“I have, to be honest, serious concerns with the baby bonus as it is especially when it ends up not being spent so much on the baby, but on problems in certain communities – especially such as alcohol.”
The baby bonus is paid in fortnightly instalments to eligible families with an annual combined income of less than $150,000.
This sounds far more like the practical, objective, well-reasoned, and fair-minded Barnaby Joyce that your humble blogger admires and respects.
Barnaby Is Right 
Babies don’t eat much, and I handed most clothes down or were given them by others. My mother bought the cot, my mother in law the bassinette, and my father the high wheeled pram and that served all our children. We bought a stroller in Australia that did all the children and I gave it away to someone at one time. But if the household income depends on say at least 40,000 a year that’s a lot to recover. It is becoming a problem for middle income families whereas if you don’t have a mortgage or own a car this is not the problem.
We just handed ours straight over to the obstetrician!
This sounds like a lame attempt to smear Joyce. I bet Labor have been keeping it locked away for a rainy day to cast dispersions whenever focus needed to be taken away from Labor.
Why no criticism of Milne’s criticism of Labor’s “obsession with getting into surplus” instead of this lame sideshow? It hasn’t taken long for her to make Brown look like a paragon of economic virtue by contrast.
If it is not to increase the baby bonus and is to actually remove it and make it a part of the regular welfare system this is good. It should be reduced in my opinion but making it regular payments is much better than what exists now as it will help those who most need it.