http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/andi-mastrosavas/ Andi grew up in Adelaide, which provided her with two things cynicism and a sophisticated palate for wine. After graduating from film and TV training at Melbourne’s RMIT, took herself to Chicago to study film and new media as a fine art at The School of the Art Institute and concluded those studies with a multimedia degree back at RMIT when the inevitable desire to earn an income overshadowed lofty idealism. Andi is currently the Deputy Editor at news.com.au and focuses on multimedia and data journalism. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/abo-is-not-just-an-abbreviation-of-aboriginal/ I don’t think anyone is that shocked to discover former Carlton president John Elliott is a bigot and no doubt Can of Worms let his comment air because of the publicity, but sadly it seems the sentiment behind his recent racial slur is echoed by a cross-section of Australians. Some comments on the story included: “Aussie is OK as an abbreviation, but Abo isn’t? I never knew that Abo was offensive?”, and “Why can’t we use the word ‘abo’ it is just an abbreviation.” feedback@thepunch.com.au (Andi Mastrosavas) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/abo-is-not-just-an-abbreviation-of-aboriginal/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/abo-is-not-just-an-abbreviation-of-aboriginal/#item6325 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:55:13 +0000 Andi Mastrosavas | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/medicareless-our-two-tier-second-rate-health-system/ I recently took myself to a medical clinic that bulk-billed. I didn’t go there because they bulk-billed. I went because the clinic was walking distance from my office building. I needed to get tested for Helicobacter pylori. Here’s what happened: GP: You can take the test home, do it yourself and bring it back to be sent to the lab. (No further instructions so I leave and I attempt to pick up the test from reception.) Medical Receptionist: No, you do the test here, but after two hours of fasting, water is allowed. (I return after two hours of fasting, having drunk a glass of water during that time.) Centre Manager: Actually you need to have fasted for 6 hours, nil water, but it should be OK. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Andi Mastrosavas) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/medicareless-our-two-tier-second-rate-health-system/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/medicareless-our-two-tier-second-rate-health-system/#item6006 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 19:50:30 +0000 Andi Mastrosavas | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Why-shouldnt-we-be-able-to-insure-domestic-labour/ A story recently published on news.com.au about a policy from Million Dollar Woman offering stay at home parents compensation if they are unable to work, totally bemused me. Well not so much the story, which was great. It was the accompanying poll that grabbed my attention. The poll simply asked “Should stay-at-home mums be compensated if they get sick?” Now given that in order to receive the compensation you have to have taken out an insurance policy to the tune of $40 or $60 a month for the Day-to-Day Living Expenses Cover to pay you either $1,000 or $1,500 fortnightly, it seems a no-brainer to me. Absolutely I say, compensate. This is a simple insurance policy protecting in most cases the primary care giver in the family. It is not subsidised by the tax payer. It costs us nothing. So given that it is a self-funded voluntary insurance, why would anyone respond to that poll question with a No? feedback@thepunch.com.au (Andi Mastrosavas) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Why-shouldnt-we-be-able-to-insure-domestic-labour/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Why-shouldnt-we-be-able-to-insure-domestic-labour/#item5704 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 03:10:52 +0000 Andi Mastrosavas | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/mardi-gras-a-parade-a-protest-and-ultimately-a-party/ I am loath to write this piece for fear of being ghettoised as a lesbian writer - but it occurred to me today that, for people living in the big gay-friendly cities of the world, what Mardi Gras represents to the gay boy in the bush on the verge of suicide, the trans kid wrestling with gender and sexuality or the lesbian girl in the suburbs contemplating an unsatisfying yet completely acceptable marriage might be utterly lost. As an out teenage lesbian in the large country town of Adelaide in the early nineties, light years away from London Pride, Wigstock NY, or Sydney Mardi Gras for that matter, the possibility of living a happy, successful life as an open queer seemed slight at best and positively dangerous at worst. So I saved my coin, quite literally, and bought a bus ticket (as I couldn’t afford the interstate flight prior to the days of domestic airline competition) to attend my first Mardi Gras in Sydney. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Andi Mastrosavas) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/mardi-gras-a-parade-a-protest-and-ultimately-a-party/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/mardi-gras-a-parade-a-protest-and-ultimately-a-party/#item5301 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 02:00:16 +0000 Andi Mastrosavas | Author bios | The Punch