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Get Paid To Have Babies - Story Here
Good things come to those who wait, the saying goes. For new Australian mothers in July, those good things were a baby - and a cash handout.
A federal government "baby bonus" of 3,000 Australian dollars (US$2,100) went into effect July 1, and a newspaper reported Tuesday that at least one private maternity hospital saw a slump in deliveries toward the end of June and a surge in early July.
Apparently, women who planned Caesarean section deliveries put off the procedure until after July 1 to ensure they did not miss out on the new bonus. The government had advised expectant mothers to schedule caesareans according to medical advice rather than when it would be most lucrative.
The government said the payment was intended to boost Australia's flagging birth rate, while opposition lawmakers branded it vote-buying ahead of elections expected later this year...
Good things come to those who wait, the saying goes. For new Australian mothers in July, those good things were a baby - and a cash handout.
A federal government "baby bonus" of 3,000 Australian dollars (US$2,100) went into effect July 1, and a newspaper reported Tuesday that at least one private maternity hospital saw a slump in deliveries toward the end of June and a surge in early July.
Apparently, women who planned Caesarean section deliveries put off the procedure until after July 1 to ensure they did not miss out on the new bonus. The government had advised expectant mothers to schedule caesareans according to medical advice rather than when it would be most lucrative.
The government said the payment was intended to boost Australia's flagging birth rate, while opposition lawmakers branded it vote-buying ahead of elections expected later this year...