One of the biggest changes to financial legislation that kicked in on January 1, 2016 is a change that will negatively affect bugger all people. But I am really, really glad these people will be put out.
Like most of the population, I accept that there are people in society who are a great deal smarter than me. They have cool qualifications, conduct important research and have a profound impact on all of us. They’re called scientists.
Scientists do research in areas like vaccinations, studying in great detail the intricacies of disease and herd immunity so that you and I can go about our day safe in the knowledge that we probably won’t catch Polio before dinnertime.
Scientists debunk myths created by homeopaths about how watering down a substance makes it more potent (homeopaths must be completely baffled by the concept of making cordial). Scientists also debunk myths created by scaremongers about vaccines causing conditions such as autism.
Occasionally, sensible politics prevails where politicians actually accept what the scientists say, like about how important immunisations are to the health of children and society as a whole. And sometimes these politicians get rid of loopholes that give benefits to people who really don’t deserve them. That’s what happened at the chime of midnight on January 1st.
When your child attends day care you are required to show that they are fully immunised before you can receive the childcare rebate and childcare benefit. Previously, parents who were “contentious objectors” to vaccinations for their child could send them to day care without the kid being fully immunised, yet the parents could still get the full rebate and benefit available to sensible parents. In 2016 I am very happy to say that is no longer the case.
It’s a win for parenting, a win for scientists and a win for politicians who need to reduce spending wherever possible to help bring a budget back into balance.
After all, every dollar that is not spent on rebates and benefits is a dollar that can go into pay rises for politicians.