Won't someone please think of the childless?': Senator David Leyonhjelm says childless Australians should be praised

Date
    November 23, 2015
    Canberra Times

Libertarian senator David Leyonhjelm has praised childless Australians in a speech in the Senate, saying they should receive thanks instead of pity or criticism.   

    To the childless people of Australia, I want to say, on behalf of this Parliament, thank you for being childless.
   

The NSW Senator made his remarks while supporting the government's bill to remove family payments and childcare subsidies for families that do not immunise their children, which passed the Senate on Monday. 


Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm, whose party also wants to see family payments restricted and childcare subsidies abolished, says parents receive joy and meaning from their children - "what more do they want?" 

"It's bad enough that people continue to bring wave upon wave of these little blighters into the world," Senator Leyonhjelm said.

"The least they can do is immunise their bundles of dribble and sputum so they don't make the rest of us sick."

Senator Leyonhjelm, who does not have children, said it was time to ask: "Won't someone please think of the childless?"

He said while politicians were "obsessed" with families, many Australian households were childless. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, couples families without children are expected to overtake couples with children during the 2020s.

"To the childless people of Australia, I want to say, on behalf of this Parliament, thank you for being childless.

"You work for more years and become more productive than the rest of Australia. You pay thousands and thousands of dollars more tax than other Australians. You get next to no welfare ...   

"But you pay when other people get pregnant, you pay when they give birth, you pay when they stay at home to look after their offspring ..." Senator Leyonhjelm said.

The Liberal Democrat said that he was sorry than instead of receiving thanks, Australians without children were "often ignored, pitied, considered strange, or even thought of as irresponsible".

"For your sake, I hope the children you are forced to support don't end up as juvenile delinquents, and I hope that they get immunised so that you don't end up getting sick. Because you'll pay then, too."   

The Liberal Democrats also want to see family payments restricted, childcare subsidies abolished, and the deregulation of the childcare sector, to cut childcare costs. They also want to see the government's paid parental leave scheme - which they see as an "arbitrary payment" - stopped

"Children generate great joy, warmth, and meaning for their parents. They are a precious gift. What more do you want?"

The new "no jab, no pay" rules, which is a 2015 budget measure, are due to start on January 1, 2016. They will save about $500 million over four years.

Under the scheme, parents would only be able to get an exemption for "valid" medical reasons - not because they conscientiously object to vaccination.

According to the Department of Health, the percentage of children registered as conscientious objectors has increased from 0.23 per cent of total children in 1999 to 1.77 per cent last year.

mothra wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2015 at 1:42pm:



The sooner this clown is removed from office, the better. Unfortunately it will be the election after next. He is a perpetual idiot.

You are right in all you say. The childless-by-choice are usually greedy and self-centred and they will discover in their old age just how small their lives will be.

cods wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2015 at 3:08pm:


While I do hope they have taking notes, they really should be taking spelling lessons.  He was largely elected because he was first on the ballot and because people thought they were voting for the Liberals.

Stratos wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2015 at 3:12pm:


Are you saying Liberal voters are dopey idiots who cannot read a ballot paper?

Leyonhjelm will be unknown to the inner city latte sipping elitists, he has a Farm near Mudgee has written a column in The Land for years, he is also a lawyer,a Vet,has a masters in business administration.

cods wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2015 at 3:08pm:


The Buddhists who run my local newsagent don't have kids because they think the world is over populated.

The LDP policy is no government funded childcare or welfare, why should those without kids subsidise those who have kids?

I know many people who limited how many kids they had because in those days if you couldn't afford them you didn't have them.

Baronvonrort wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2015 at 3:17pm:


Partly that, partly getting the donkey vote yes.

Baronvonrort wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2015 at 3:24pm:



We all contribute to society. Simple.

Many people are not childless by choice.

Many would have liked to adopt but a lot of left wingers like mothra here made it so difficult in one way or another that that option was taken away from them.