Despite all the excitement about marriage over the last few days, I am discovering why people don’t get married anymore.
There is a massive disincentive to making permanent commitments with anyone other than the State. The State is indeed a jealous lover.
Last year my wife and I got married. As we discovered, after her coming ‘under the care’ of a man (rather than the government), she lost all her Austudy and her healthcare card. Over the year, we were down nearly $20,000 for having tied the knot. We were fine, but had to tighten our financial belt. Many other couples would suffer considerably more difficulty.
Our experience shows a significant disincentive to get married, and perhaps is a key reason why many poorer people do not get married these days.
If I was cynical I might conclude that the government’s goal is subsidize poverty, create dependance and produce social alienation, rather than supporting strong, resilient and independent families.
