Tuesday, 4 May, 2004

Turner: 25,000 new DPB births in past five years

Nearly 25,000 DPB recipients had further children at taxpayers' expense in the last five years, while single-income families have effectively been penalised for choosing to have a parent at home to raise their children, United Future's Judy Turner revealed in Parliament today.

"There is a huge irony in the disadvantage faced by families who place such a high value on the raising of their children," Mrs Turner, United Future's families and welfare spokeswoman, said.

"It cuts to the core of what sort of society we wish to encourage and develop," she said in tabling the answer to a written question.

"One where people take responsibility and at the very least are not disadvantaged, or one where anything goes and the State will pick up the tab, no matter what choices you make?" she asked. Mrs Turner pointed to United Future's policy of splitting parents' income for tax purposes as making it the only party that recognises the contribution of families who forego a double income and have a parent at home to look after children.

"This is about actually delivering for families," she said. "It is about saying that increased childcare subsidies and rushing both parents back to work is not the only legitimate choice.

"This is about putting families first."

Ends.

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