Aussie professor plays at social engineering

The following has to be one of the most bird-witted ideas ever to come out of the ranks of the Australian medical profession.

 

"FAMILIES would pay a $5000-plus baby levy at birth and an annual carbon tax of up to $800 a child under a plan flagged in Australia's top medical journal.

Every couple with more than two children would be taxed to pay for enough trees to offset the carbon emissions generated over each child's lifetime.

Perth Assoc Prof Barry Walters outlines his proposal in yesterday's Medical Journal of Australia.

He calls for condoms and greenhouse-friendly services such as sterilisation procedures to earn carbon credits for the user and prescriber."

Herald Sun full article today:
 http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22896354-662,00.html

 

How wonderful. The good doctor proposes both a tax on the reproductive capacity of ordinary Australians and a way to earn carbon credits for himself and his cronies by sterilising the poor.

That's what this amounts to because only high income earners would be able to afford a third child under his crazy, crazy scheme.

Not since Hitler's Germany have I heard of such a bizarre approach to social policy.

If I didn't know better I would think this University of Western Australia associate professor had been nipping at the ether. Time for the Dean to have a quiet word with this gentleman.