That a father-of-six (going on seven) would throw a huge sum of taxpayer cash at parents isn't that surprising, but it is shocking.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, as part of a $2.8 billion post-lockdown stimulus package, is handing out $250 vouchers to all households with children in school.
Parents can claim them from March and use them on recreation, entertainment, or accommodation - with or without the kids.
That would easily qualify Mr Perrottet, who calls himself the 'premier for families' and on Sunday announced his wife Helen was expecting their seventh child.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, who has six children (all but one pictured), is handing out $250 vouchers to all households with school-aged children
Mr Perrottet on Sunday announced his wife Helen is expecting their seventh child, a baby girl, next year
NSW had about 1.24 million school students last year, out of a population of 8.17 million across about 2.77 million households.
Just 22.6 per cent per cent of NSW households in the 2016 census had at least one child in school, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Should all 624,602 of them take up the premier's offer, that's more than $156 million, largely sourced from childless taxpayers, buying them a few trips to the zoo.
The other 2.14 million households, 77.4 per cent of the state, get nothing other than the sour taste of paying for this boondoggle.
Mr Perrottet justifies this extraordinary snub to most of his state as a 'thank you' for homeschooling their children for months of classroom closures.
'One of the biggest challenges for so many families during lockdowns was learning from home, and now as life returns to normal we want to encourage people to get out and boost economic activity,' he said.
'In many senses this is a 'thank you' that will go some small way towards helping family finances that took a big hit and at the same time supporting businesses and jobs.'
Parents can claim them from March and use them on recreation, entertainment, or accommodation - with or without the kids. Pictured is Sydney Aquarium
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and his wife Helen with four of their soon to be seven children
Mr Perrottet apparently doesn't care that non-parents disproportionately struggled with pandemic-induced job losses, or the mental health impacts of living alone.
Parents also already benefit from numerous tax breaks and subsidies that childless people could only dream of receiving.
And if the goal is to stimulate the economy, the money is better off in the hands of those most likely to spend it - those with the time to do so right away.
Instead the premier hurls millions of yours and my tax dollars at the demographic he most closely identifies with,
