29 July 2024

Costs, no family support, rise of far right reasons for Canberrans not having children, inquiry told

| Oliver Jacques
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woman holding baby

An inquiry is trying to get to the bottom of why Canberrans aren’t having babies. Photo: Claire Fenwicke.

An inquiry into why the ACT has the lowest fertility rate in Australia has been told the high economic cost of having children is the overwhelming factor explaining this trend.

Public submissions have also highlighted a lack of local family support for those born outside the capital, limited childcare availability, a desire to still have free time and the global rise of far-right ideologies as other raising kid deterrents.

In 2021, women in the ACT had, on average, 1.45 children each, less than any other state or territory.

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Earlier this year, an ACT Legislative Assembly committee chaired by Greens MLA Jo Clay commenced what was called the Inquiry into Raising Children.

The inquiry is considering whether factors such as cost of living pressures, housing affordability, heath service access, environmental concerns, fertility issues and adoption policies may discourage people from having kids.

Financial concerns the overwhelming factor

Almost all of the 81 public submissions made to the inquiry identified cost and economic issues as a key deterrent.

“It’s so expensive just to support myself as an adult that I couldn’t imagine bringing a child into this world,” Ashleigh Eason wrote in a comment typical of many others.

“I barely have enough money to pay rent in a share house, buy enough food to sustain myself even though I work good hours for a decent salary.”

A 30-year-old married woman named Kate said that even though she and her husband had a combined income of $210,000, it was simply not enough to start a family in this city.

“We would have to live on one income for at least a year if we had a child … a household income of $105,000 for two adults and one dependent absolutely is not enough to live comfortably in the ACT.”

Woman speaking into microphone

Jo Clay MLA is chairing the inquiry. Photo: Michelle Kroll.

Among the many economic issues identified, the high cost of child care, lack of paid maternity leave and ongoing mortgage repayments were recurring themes.

A cap or reduction of childcare fees was the most popular solution to the financial barriers raised, with some also suggesting the government could bring back the baby bonus – a one-off financial payment to families who have a child.

Living in Canberra without family

Another key factor identified in multiple submissions was the lack of extended family support, which particularly impacts the many Canberra residents born and raised in other cities and overseas.

“As someone who did not grow up in Canberra and followed the annual graduate pilgrimage to Canberra many years ago, I do not have family support to assist me with raising children,” Alicia Jamieson wrote.

“Before having children, it was important I had progressed my career far enough that I would have sufficient savings and a salary that could support maternity leave and the cost of child care on return to work … once I was financially ready, fertility issues became evident and a further delay in having children arose whilst there was a need to undergo IVF treatment which further impacted the financial readiness for children.”

Lifestyle choices

A small, atypical number of submissions suggested not having kids was a lifestyle choice.

“I hate children and so do most of my friends,” Avalon Yennefer wrote.

“We don’t want to ruin our lives. With children there is not enough free time to rest, enjoy our own hobbies and see friends. Having seen our parents complain about that all our lives really had an impact.”

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Jordan Campbell highlighted the usual economic factors that discourage child-rearing but also highlighted something else.

“The global state of affairs, climate catastrophe, awful market forces, rise of far-right ideologies also contribute to my uncertainty about raising children,” he wrote.

“The world isn’t a friendly place right now and signs aren’t pointing to that changing anytime soon.”

Inquiry report to come

The committee says it will also look at what policies are needed to address the above issues.

Hearings and public submissions are now closed, with an inquiry final report and government response due before the end of the year.

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Kate and her husband are financially incompetent if they can’t have children on their income. Plenty of people do it for much less. It would seem they don’t want kids really.

Incidental Tourist4:10 pm 30 Jul 24

Where should babies come from if Greens always put working families last? How does tax reform 2011 which “provide stable revenue” by more “efficient” taxing families promote birthrates? How did Green’s decriminalisation of drugs strengthen family? Or maybe babies should come not from families but rather from shared tenancies because Greens made breaking lease harder than divorce? Where did Greens want more children raised? – in the “build to rent” apartments or public housing expanded through taxing families even more? Jo Clay recently shed crocodile tears saying that she could afford her family home on one income before and now young couples can’t. Really? Why doesn’t she ask how much Barr charges today for the same block of land as hers? How much do renters have to pay to Labor/Greens via sky-rocketed land tax and rates while saving a home deposit? How much do young families have to pay to Greens via GP tax when going to a doctor? Should parents carry babies when riding electric scooters or pay through nose for a family car? Is it not ironic that Greens who support many anti-family policies chair low birthrate enquiry?

Short 12 minute video about this topic.

It’s Not Just You. No One Wants Kids Anymore.
https://youtu.be/u-PinTQcuik

YEP! The rise of far-right ideology (conservative political thought) would frighten most Socialist/Marxists half to death, especially in the Socialist/Marxist Green ALP ACT Governments jurisdiction. How terrible no nanny state, hard drugs would still be illegal, vaccine mandates and masks would be viewed as ridiculous and free speech wouldn’t attract cancel culture. What a terrible, terrible place to live.

Yes, I too live in eternal fear that the Nazis under the bed are about to take over the world.

What is also gut wrenchingly hilarious about this scenario is that enlightened Canberra, filled as it no doubt is with enlightened atheists, believes in the theory of evolution and how it teaches survival of the fittest – or that being best which leads to the continuation of the species.

What is so gut wrenchingly hilarious about this is that it’s the belief in such stupidities as atheism and survival of the fittest that has directly led to beliefs and consequent life styles that do not breed but miserably die out. And if that wasn’t enough gut wrenching hilarity for one day, note how it’s the ‘religious idiots’ who breed and therefore constitute the fittest, in contradiction to atheism’s survival of the fittest.

Oh, I can’t stop laughing at the enlightened.

You raise an interesting point, Vasily M. To achieve the observed historical change in religiosity in this country (and others), a correct conclusion is that the religious breed atheists faster than atheists do. Was that your plan?

And I can’t stop laughing at your stupidity, in thinking atheism is a ‘belief’, yet at the same time implying that other ‘beliefs’ are superior – because is ‘atheism’ is stupid, then beliefs in sky fairies must not be.

Ridiculous dribble.

Darwinian evolutionary theory on “survival of the fittest” is an observation, not an ideology.

Let everybody make their own choices byline. Free of woke leftist Socialism and Marxism. How’s that for a start?

This is hilarious. Canberra, the wokest s-hole in all of Australia, which automatically implies a hatred for marriage and family, but an abiding adoration for abortion, girl bosses and ‘overpopulation’, wonders why it’s not reproducing.

There’s that typical lack of self-awareness dumb humans are very much known for.

The beauty of it? This progressive freaks show – practically unknown in all of human history, for the simple fact that it’s just soooo stupid – is on the verge of breeding itself out of existence, all the while thinking it was leading humanity to the promised land.

I mean, how utterly stupid can you get?

Yet here you are, living in the wokest s-hole, or at very least commenting on a page dedicated to it.

Just sad. The only stupidity on show is your own.

You have to comment on “stupid” JS9. Plus it’s just so much fun because Canberrans are so out of touch with the real Australia and that they so think they are enlightened when in fact deluded is much more descriptive of them.

All of my kids are of the age & stage where they could have kids. None of them can afford to do so. They’re struggling to pay rent and buy food, even with two incomes. I can’t argue with the need for them to eat and keep a roof over their heads.

davidmaywald7:12 am 30 Jul 24

It’s notable that the two far-left jurisdictions (ACT and Victoria) have significantly lower fertility rates than the more conservative right-leaning state (Queensland, which is about to change government from a tired Labor administration to an energised Liberal National Party). ABS data for 2022 has ACT at the lowest fertility rate in the nation (1.41), closely followed by Victoria (1.51), and then distance to Queensland (1.71). Labor and Greens rule has seen the fertility rate plunge by 0.4 in both ACT and Victoria, faster than the decline in other jurisdictions.

Lol neither is a ‘far left’ jurisdiction in any sense of the word.

The delusional use of such terms doesn’t help any discussion. Effectively we are still quite central, with a few leftist policies thrown in.

And there is zero strong evidence to suggest anything beyond mere correlation – with no obvious causality links.

LOL
We have established that in your Overton window, anything to the right of Marx is a Nazi. Only on that basis could the ACT be considered “quite central”.

The Far Right? Pull the other one. Hello, in case you hadn’t noticed the left are in power and all the reasons listed are from the leftist policies of the ALP/Greens

IS YOUR CHILD A FAR-RIGHT EXTREMIST?
Look for warning signs:
– Aversion to drugs, alcohol, pornography
– Interest in physical fitness, mental wellbeing
– Growing collection of classic literature
– Monogamy, desire to marry and procreate
– Increased time spent outdoors or in nature
– Appreciation of nation, history and culture
– Disdain for modernism, post-modernism

The fact that these qualities are spruiked as ‘right wing’ is an own goal by the left. These qualities are entirely compatible with people who have a left wing framework. But the contemporary nihilist ‘left wing’ of today are screwing it up.

Anyone who has retained their left wing principles and sense of pluralism will very soon be politically homeless if it continues.

“global rise of far-right ideologies as other raising kid deterrents”

I’d say the rise of far-left ideologies as a raising kid deterrent.

Yes its the extremists on either end. The queer post-modernism ‘sex is a spectrum’ identity obsessed weirdos are as bad for a healthy society as the alt right extremists.

The ludicrous cost of buying or renting in this city would have to be by far and away the greatest disincentive to being able to afford to start a family. With average rental nearly $700 p/w and average house price now over $1,000,000 (yes, a million dollars!) before adding utility bills, car rego, food, etc its little wonder people are struggling.
There is the argument that with historically low interest rates this is a great time to get into the housing market, however with the astronomical housing prices, who can afford this? A loan for a $1,000,000 property with a $100,000 deposit will require roughly $2720 per fortnight over the next 30 years to service it according to one of the big bank’s online calculators. That’s a lot of money in anyone’s language.
Instead of artificially driving up the price of land and resulting property prices, you’d think a Greens supported Labor minority government would be hell bent on driving it down, but that wouldn’t please their developer mates, nor support the governments bottom line, so no chance of that happening.

Property prices have nothing to do with federal taxation law or with self-interest which precludes rectifying the economic distortions then?

GrumpyGrandpa7:42 pm 29 Jul 24

The Greens holding an Inquiry into raising children, the rise of far right as reasons for Canberrans not having children (whatever that means), and the couple earning $210,000 not being able to live comfortably on $105,000 for 12 months, if they had a child.

My goodness! What a load of self-entitlement! How do people earning less than $210,000 ever survive? Oh that’s right. They live within their means.

What do The Greens expect from the Inquiry? Do they think “the State should pay for everything”?

You know that’s what they think. They are Marxiat stooges.

You do realise what’s quoted is public submissions from individuals, not some great overall finding from the inquiry right?

Hmmm, why would journalists cherrypick specific outliers to use for headlines and as part of the article?

Could it be to generate the exact type of reaction you and some other commentators are having?

Ahhh, rage bait driving page views and engagement is a wonderful thing.

Head over to news.com.au if you want to really get angry at deliberately inflammatory articles designed for that purpose.

People with investment houses complaining about interest rates, uni students whinging about their parents not funding their lifestyles and the elderly trying to game the pension system. They have it all!

Oh, thanks Captain Obvious.

And yet here you are again, having commented seriously on the article over 6 times, raging at those evil lefty’s and Marxists.

Thanks Captain Oblivious.

Also to add – rates here are crippling

Yep, much cheaper to live in Sydney. Food, doctors and dentists are cheaper there as well as rates being much lower and public transport being much better so can forgo the car to pay for the house.

Watch some Darrell Bricker interviews on YouTube dealing with population decline. I would steer clear of some Greens agenda, i wonder what angle they are pushing this time.

Without the ridiculous government spending on a new agency for everything, the light rail, and the unions- there would be more children. People are miserable.

Yep people aren’t having children because the government is building light rail and because unions exist.

Right.

I’m sure living in serfdom and as slaves to masters would just so encourage modern people to have kids, wouldn’t it…..

“rise of far-right ideologies” hmm, yes, this would be pretty high up on everyone’s list of reasons. And if not, you’d really have to wonder why; as in, whether they themselves are hiding fascist sympathies.

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