One Nation has proposed a $2,000 baby bonus for new parents in Victoria, announced by the party's deputy leader, Colleen Harkin, on Friday. This announcement comes just a day after the Labor and Liberal parties agreed to cover out-of-pocket costs for abortion care.
Proposal Details
Harkin's plan aims to remove out-of-pocket costs for pregnant women in the public healthcare system and provide a $2,000 subsidy for those accessing private maternity care. She estimated the cost of this initiative at $136 million over four years, although she admitted this figure is a rough estimate that would depend on annual birth rates.
“"We don’t go hard on figures, because we actually don’t have access to the detail of this stuff," Harkin told reporters.
Stance on Abortion Laws
Despite the federal party's national platform, which seeks to roll back abortion laws, Harkin stated that One Nation would not interfere with Victoria's abortion laws. She accused the Labor party of engaging in misleading tactics, saying, "We have no state abortion policy because it is not our focus whatsoever."
Labor's Commitment
On Thursday, Labor announced that if re-elected in November, it would eliminate out-of-pocket costs for abortion care, with an estimated cost of $30 million over four years. This plan includes payments to private providers for medical and surgical abortions up to 16 weeks’ gestation, covering costs for consultations, scans, tests, and medication that can reach up to $1,000. Additionally, women in regional areas would be eligible for a travel subsidy.
