Get your red-hot budget tips here!

[Jovial Monk]

froges, after the changes in the last budget private health membership went UP!

When Howard introduced the health rebate rort he said it would take pressure off public ospitals and so took money out of the C/w PH payments.

What happened was that the pressure on public hospitals did not decrease an iota but the funds going to them has bulk decreased. so removing or means testing the rebate will have NO effect on public hospitals. The rebate was very bad policy that just resulted in those with private health insurance to have massage, 'Rolfing' and other crap alternative therapies be partly paid by the tax payer. the sooner it goes the better. it was just upper class welfare!

[Hebe]

They ought to get rid of the baby bonus too. Another remnant of the blatant vote-buying Howard government.

[Jovial Monk]

Think the parental leave will replace it.

[Ethnic]

Speaking of paid maternity leave, you ought to read some of the comments on Andrew Bolt's site regarding paid maternity leave. Sexism at its most vulgar, even more shocking is that alot of women are making the comments:

"just as Gough made it harder for women to find jobs in the 70’s when equal pay was introduced."

"As an employer of 25 I can only say sorry girls but when you leave my business you will only be replaced with blokes and or those ladies beyond child bearing age."

"How much of a burden does business need with staff (employed now before 2011)on leave to start their families? "

"now employees can plan to have their children after meeting the designated period of employment, collect maternity leave then resign leaving the employer and business worse off."

What arseholes. And to think these weirdos call themselves "conservatives". They're not conservatives, they're fuckheads. This scheme will help keep families together due to financial security while adjusting to life with a newborn child - conservatives are for families, remember dickheads. Just as long as it's out of reach to the well off, I'm all for it.

[TomB]

...... conservatives are for families remember dickheads........

I think we could do with some judicial comma placement there.

"conservatives are for families, remember, dickhead's" or

"conservatives are for families, remember dickhead's" or

"conservatives are for families remember, dickheads" or

you stupid fuckwits, STFU!

[Ethnic]

Thanks, error fixed.

[Jubial Priest]

What arseholes. And to think these weirdos call themselves "conservatives". They're not conservatives, they're fuckheads. This scheme will help keep families together due to financial security while adjusting to life with a newborn child - conservatives are for families, remember dickheads. Just as long as it's out of reach to the well off, I'm all for it.

I see the truth makes you uncomfortable Celetina.

This is just another govt intervention that, although altruistic is ill thought out and popularist (like everything Krudd does) and will interfere with the employment process that will disadvantage women whether you like it or not.

Blame yourselves for raising the glass ceiling...suckers

[Ethnic]

I see the truth makes you uncomfortable Celetina.

This is just another govt intervention that, although altruistic is ill thought out and popularist (like everything Krudd does) and will interfere with the employment process that will disadvantage women whether you like it or not.

Blame yourselves for raising the glass ceiling...suckers

What truth are you referring to? I fail to see how this would affect a woman's chances of employment. Women are already taking unpaid maternity leave and most of them return to their jobs after a specific amount of time. An increasing number of companies have their own voluntary paid maternity leave schemes. Most employers haven't complained and they certainly won't complain now. This is funded by the public purse, not them. Unlike most of Rudd's and Howard's decisions, this one always made sense - as long as it only goes to mothers who actually need it (i.e. not upper middle/upper class women). Plan for pregnancy of course but these women will go back to the workforce and repay their leave via income tax and taxes on everything they buy with their wages.

[Jovial Monk]

Jubial Dickhead is less intelligent than the posters to the Dolt blog--who'd a thunk it?

[mantra.]

Isn't the government picking up the tab for maternity leave? Can we afford it at the moment? On top of the baby bonus - women will be picking up $600 gross a week or whatever the basic wage is for 18 weeks. It won't keep families together. It's just another debt to add to our already burgeoning budget deficit.