Bob Katter says no one can afford to have families in Australia

Federal MP Bob Katter has claimed that Australians will become a “dying race” under the current tax system, arguing that more people are ditching the idea of having babies to avoid paying more taxes. Mr Katter issued a statement just weeks after the federal government pushed through major changes to its stage 3 income tax cuts, which it says will provide the average Australian with a tax cut of more than $1500 a year from July 1. He said “no one” could afford to have families anymore because the current tax model favoured “career-minded” individuals over people wanting to stay home and raise children. “The average income being about $100,000, tax on that is $25,000. Each individual in a [double income and no kids] household is left with $75,000 disposal income,” Mr Katter said. “Now a family of five. There might be a stay-at-home parent (if they can afford it). “So an average income of $100,000 is also $75,000 after tax, however, that’s split five ways – so really each individual has $15,000. “So where would you rather be? With a disposable income of $75,000 or a disposable income of $15,000?” According to the most recent birth data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, women in Australia women are having fewer children and having them later in life. In 2022, Australia registered a total of 300,684 births, a decrease of 3 per cent from 2021. The shift has largely been attributed to more young people reaching milestones that usually precede parenthood, such as gaining economic independence or forming long-term de facto relationships later in life. It has also been linked to women’s increased rights to access the workforce and gain financial independence outside of marriage. Mr Katter said he was among the first generation where “women were supposed to have careers” before alleging they were “careering off into non existence”. “A lot of them, very sadly, are old people now. They sit at home, they have no kids to love and no kids to love them, no grandkids to love and no grandkids to love them. It’s very sad because society cheated them and lied to them,” he said.