[Nettime-bold] Catholic Archbishop proposes divorce tax

["bmoretti@chariot.net.au" <bmoretti@chariot.net.au>]

http://au.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/20010824/aapnews/998608524-141003984
5.html

Friday 24 August 9:15 AM

Catholic Archbishop proposes divorce tax

Sydney's Catholic Archbishop, George Pell, has proposed a divorce tax for
separating couples in a tightening of the country's divorce laws.

The church head also suggested tax benefits for couples who stayed together
and pension payments be linked to the number of children couples had, The
Age reports.

Speaking at a Quadrant magazine dinner on Wednesday night, Dr Pell said the
federal government needed to examine measures to encourage people to stay
together and prevent social breakdown and harm on children, it reports.

Imposing a divorce tax, re-examining the no-fault divorce law and tightening
divorce criteria were among Dr Pell's proposals.

"Divorce and births out of wedlock are becoming major predictors for a range
of personal pathologies, and for criminality," Dr Pell told the dinner.

"Both come with high costs for society. Social policy should be addressing
the underlying causes and, where possible, reversing these trends.

"We will have to bite the bullet and commit to supporting the family over
and above other ways of life that people may choose.

"We have to move to what I would call a preferential option of the family in
social policy, law and our economic arrangements."

But Dr Pell's proposals drew criticism from Anglicare chief executive Canon
Ray Cleary, who told The Age it was inappropriate and unreasonable to expect
people to stay together to avoid incurring financial penalties.

Bureau of Statistics figures released yesterday show 49,900 divorces were
granted last year, 7,300 more than in 1990.

Over the decade, marriage rates fell from 43 to 33 per 1,000.



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