The Labor government is heading slowly towards a scheme (probably just before an election, like a pension increase too!).

Unless there is a marked increase in the payments for stay-at-home parents (who are numerous also), there will be a two-class system.

The problem with all the schemes proposed over the years is they favour working parents, and there are large numbers who would not benefit, as they stay at home whilst children are young.

Given the means testing introduced last budget for baby bonuses, it is not obvious the Labor Party considered the contradictory impact of its family policies.

It will be giving money and time off to working parents, whether they are well off or not, but means test families where a parent stays at home.

Clearly, they did not think about the policy design features and the scheduling of changes; if they had, they might have worked out they have a muddled approach.

M. GORDON,

Flynn ACT