Australia pays mums $3,000 baby bonus

THE Australian government is offering women A$3,000 (€1,700) to have babies in an effort to boost its flagging population.

And the maternity bonus is set to climb to A$5,000, (€2,800) by 2008.

The payment came into effect at midnight yesterday, and doctors at several city hospitals said some women were delaying planned caesarean sections until after the midnight cut-off.