Child Care
If a clean house is a sign of a wasted life then Octomom’s filthy home shows… what, exactly?
Turns out Nadya Suleman, who famously gave birth to octuplets and depends on handouts to feed the 14 children she now has, has some difficulty keeping her home sparkling fresh.
Read here how she lets the kids wallow in a squalid pad while she forks out $520 on a haircut and see the pictures here at TMZ.
Continue reading "Octoslum: When a mum can’t keep up with her litter" »
Those who claim centre-based care is no longer a relevant childcare solution for busy working families need to be mindful of a few facts.
We now have more Australian children in approved childcare services than at any time in our nation’s history. We have, in fact, seen a massive 36 per cent increase in the number of approved childcare services since Labor came to Government. That includes over 500 new centres opening in the last year alone.
And of course with our increase of the childcare rebate from 30 to 50 per cent of parents’ out-of-pocket costs and an increase in the cap from $4354 - as it was under the Howard Government - to $7500 per child per year, childcare affordability has markedly improved.
Continue reading "Don’t be fooled: the childcare pie is no magic pudding" »
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Soames says:
The problem is, it’s Australia’s working population that relies on Governments’ assistance for what is essentially a private family matter, not one for the other side of the population who carve their own destiny through balancing their own financial committments without a thought of ANY government handout. And that’s what… Read more »
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Cobbler says:
@SimonTigey - Ah, have you looked at the tax scale recently. Say a Nanny earned 35K cash (cash is only paid to low income workers because it’s easier to hide). If the Rebate is 50% then the nanny has cost you 17.5k in expenditure which 3.5k is recouped. Hardly self… Read more »
Childcare should not be a battle ground. Parents need to be able to make a living for themselves and provide a future for their children. They should not be penalised by a system that makes going to work impractical or expensive.
Tony Abbott’s plan to ask the Productivity Commission to look at the best ways to provide childcare is a commitment to review the options and see how childcare can be changed to make life easier for mums and dads, and ensure access is available in the city and the country.
If in-home care turns out to be the common-sense option, we will pursue it, and it will be a great complement to the Coalition’s six-month paid parental leave scheme. The hysteria the Government has tried to create over this announcement by claiming child care assistance will be cut, or that this is welfare for the wealthy is nonsense. This is not about providing nannies for millionaires or cutting important help for low income working families.
Continue reading "Nanny plan about economics, not polishing the silver" »
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ZSRenn says:
@ Jordy. If untrained unlicensed and unchecked Nannies get positions and no legislation is in place to make sure those that get the jobs are qualified like in the Pink Batt scheme, Then yes TA should take the blame. But that is the way the Labor party do things not… Read more »
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ZSRenn says:
@ Jordy Evidence of what? That you are an idiot! You do a pretty good job of that on your own no need for me to get involved. Read more »
A peculiar thing about the Puddin’ was that, though they had all had a great many slices off him, there was no sign of the place whence the slices had been cut. ‘That’s where the Magic comes in,’ explained Bill. ‘The more you eats the more you gets.’ - Norman Lindsay’s The Magic Pudding
Generations of Aussie children have been captivated by Norman Lindsay’s classic story centred on the exploits of Albert, a somewhat devious pudding who had the magical quality of being anything the eater desired and, fortunately, limitless in quantity.
It’s no wonder Albert appeals to children of all ages - he epitomises the hedonistic and naïve dream of “having your cake and eating it too” (literally).
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Elizabeth says:
Perhaps Mr Rudd, Mr Swan and Ms Ellis would like to visit regional Australia and find for me - a working mum of two - these childcare vacancies. I have looked…and I can not find. Thank you Sophie. Read more »
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Numble says:
Very good article. Please can we hear more thoughtful articles like this one from Liberal politicians? Tony Abbott’s written a few lately too. Take the fight to the spin, take the fight to The Government, but do it on merits. Read more »
Rightly or wrongly the Senate is currently standing in the way of a chunk of the Rudd Government’s agenda.
The Rudd Bank, Renewable Energy Targets, and a Building Industry Watchdog are all in contention at the moment.
But after Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young suffered what she said was the most “humiliating moment” of her life last night, its been agreed the Senate will debate on Monday the rules over children being allowed into the Chamber. Taxpayer dollars at work.
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Lexi says:
The real issue here is not whether the child should be in the workplace - most people are of the opinion that it’s not professional. The problem I see is that the major parties are so desperate for the Greens to play nice with them in the Senate, that new… Read more »
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Karen says:
Nobody wants to see children or breastfeeding in Parliament, or anywhere for that matter in public. Too many women, especially mothers, just expect the world to bow down to them and give them everything on a platter because they are nurturing the “future generation”. Big deal. That’s been happening for… Read more »
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