Image by craynol via Flickr
I got a fat check from the Aussie government this week. It wasn't my tax return. Nor was it a payout based on my rugged good looks (that one's due next week). It's called the Childcare Tax Rebate and it helps offset the costs of daycare. It has the added benefit of keeping my 3 and 5 year olds from being prematurely forced into the workforce (but they can use jobs if you've got openings). Right now there's a huge political debate taking place in the States around healthcare specifically, and the role of government more broadly. Conservatives, generally speaking, want lower taxes and less government involvement in everything save for the military. Progressives, broadly speaking, want better government and see health coverage as a moral obligation. I'm not here to argue which side is right or wrong, at least not now, but I am here to give the Aussie government props for doing a few things right that have made a difference for this American down under.
