One Nation in Victoria has proposed a $2,000 baby bonus for new parents. This announcement comes a day after the Labor and Liberal parties both agreed to cover out-of-pocket costs for abortion care.
Colleen Harkin, the deputy leader of One Nation in Victoria, announced the plan on Friday. It aims to remove out-of-pocket costs for pregnant women using the public healthcare system and provide a $2,000 subsidy for those accessing private maternity care.
Harkin stated the plan would cost an estimated $136 million over four years, acknowledging this figure is a "ballpark" dependent on birth rates. She also affirmed that One Nation "will not touch the abortion laws" in Victoria, despite the federal party's national platform.
On Thursday, Labor announced its plan to eliminate out-of-pocket abortion care costs if re-elected in November, costing $30 million over four years. Shortly after, the opposition leader, Jess Wilson, confirmed the Coalition would match this plan.
Sally Hasler, chief executive of Women’s Health Victoria, welcomed the bipartisan agreement on abortion care, noting it means Victoria could become the first state to provide abortion free, regardless of election outcomes.