Surprise! We have an election date :-D

[freakiness]

Who would have thought we would get a date this early?

[izabsmiling]

The Schoolkids bonus has replaced The former education tax refund.It is not a new 'expense'.The only difference now is that those who may not have lodged the paperwork (kept the receipts) to claim the Education Tax Refund now get it with everyone else who once did the paperwork .Just a guess but I'd say a good number of those who did the lodge the forms were also lodging their tax returns at the same time.Perhaps now more of those who need the money to 'help' contribute to the cost of education (which is not as it once was...with public education still being the cheapest option but nowhere near a 'free' education).

[catsnknots]

John Howard introduced the Education Tax Refund... I was on a single parents pension at the time. I use to save all of my receipts and claim the refund.... I did not have an income so did not have to do a tax return but I went through the claim to make sure i got the money. 

If a parent is too lazy to make an effort to make one phone call and find out how to claim the refund then that is their problem... one call to centerlink and you were told how to do it. It was well advertised at the time. 

We cannot teach our children that there are all rewards with no effort........ 

The changes were made as a bribe.... 

[izabsmiling]

It isn't a reward.It's a contribution to the cost of education .Things would be far more costly as far as tax dollars go if the Government ever tried to go back to a closer to free 'public education' system.

Some parents may not be able to do the paperwork even after 'being told how to do it' .It is very important that all children have the help they need to get an education.

[izabsmiling]

John Howard introduced the Education Tax Refund... I was on a single parents pension at the time. I use to save all of my receipts and claim the refund.... I did not have an income so did not have to do a tax return but I went through the claim to make sure i got the money. 

I was a single parent then too. I was working on a casual basis.I didn't even know it existed 

[monman12]

"There have always been handouts in one form or another."

Why do you think  politicians tweak a fair percentage of the electorate' hip pocket nerves prior to an election, or Gordon Gekko's quote "greed is good" resonates?

The two flocks are always on the look-out (bleating) for more, and greener grass. I cynically advertise this with my election poster which I display in my front garden, and at the local polling booth on voting day.

[polksaladallie]

"There have always been handouts in one form or another."

Why do you think  politicians tweak a fair percentage of the electorate' hip pocket nerves prior to an election, or Gordon Gekko's quote "greed is good" resonates?

The two flocks are always on the look-out (bleating) for more, and greener grass. I cynically advertise this with my election poster which I display in my front garden, and at the local polling booth on voting day.

What has this got to do with my words?  The allowances I speak about were in no way related to elections.

Child endowment was given decades ago to increase the population, and some of the allowances and bonuses now are for the same reason.

[catsnknots]

John Howard introduced the Education Tax Refund... I was on a single parents pension at the time. I use to save all of my receipts and claim the refund.... I did not have an income so did not have to do a tax return but I went through the claim to make sure i got the money. 

I was a single parent then too. I was working on a casual basis.I didn't even know it existed 

Then you should read the letters that centerlink send out more thoroughly.... that is how I found out... 

[izabsmiling]

Then you should read the letters that centerlink send out more thoroughly.... that is how I found out... 

perhaps you are right there.All I can say that whatever I did and/or did not do at that time had nothing to do with being lazy.

[cherry*135]

I personally think the Schoolkids bonus $$ amount that is payable, is a bit high, for parents who receive FTB A and/or FTB B as well. For primary school children at least.

Eligibility basics

receiving Family Tax Benefit Part A for a dependent child in primary or full time

secondary educationa primary or full time secondary student up to the age of turning 19 in the calendar year who receives certain government payments

a person aged up to the age of turning 19 in the calendar year who is exempt from full time study

The Education Tax Refund was heavily advertised/promoted when it was introduced. Flyers  about it were placed in mail with other FTB correspondence as well. I had 1 child at school then.

[monman12]

PSA: "....Child endowment was given decades ago to increase the population, and some of the allowances and bonuses now are for the same reason......"

Codswallop,  in the "good old days" government grants were not so much a form of cynical hip-pocket largesse as today, and as for considering they were aimed at rewarding fecundity, more codswallop.I

Actually when Menzies introduced Child Endowment in 1941 he stated  that the purpose of it was " to bridge the gap between the inadequacy of the basic wage and the needs of the family, also it was a logical adjunct of the wages system which would enable families to obtain a given absolute standard of living."

Hip pocket nerve massage, or hand feeding the 2 flocks prior to an election.