http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/helen-coonan/ Helen Coonan is a Liberal Party Senator and Shadow Minister for Finance, Competition Policy and Deregulation. She represents the Shadow Treasurer in the Senate. She commenced her political career following a diverse legal career that spanned establishing her own legal firm, partnership in a large commercial law firm, practise as a commercial barrister in Australia and as a registered New York Attorney. Senator Coonan was first elected as Liberal Senator for New South Wales in 1996, re-elected in 2001 and again in 2007. Under the Howard Government, she served firstly as Assistant Treasurer and went on to become the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Senator Coonan loves art, the theatre, live music and her iPhone and lives in Sydney with her family and two dogs, Archie and Grace. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:00:13 +0000 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:00:13 +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/we-need-a-masterplan-to-deal-with-worsening-disasters/ Sometimes it takes a disaster to shake the complacency out of us. To rethink the attitude of ‘she’ll be right’ when clearly things are not right. So isn’t it time to develop a national masterplan to help guide future planning and development in this country to try and stop the increasing loss of life and damage that the natural forces around Australia unleash? If you look at the past decade there have many natural disasters, both fire and flood, which have destroyed so many homes. We have seen the fires in Victoria which swept through the hill communities of Flowerdale, Kinglake and Marysville in 2009 destroying over 2,000 homes and taking 173 lives. Back in 1983 Ash Wednesday fires in South Australia destroyed 2,400 homes. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Helen Coonan) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/we-need-a-masterplan-to-deal-with-worsening-disasters/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/we-need-a-masterplan-to-deal-with-worsening-disasters/#item4947 Sat, 22 Jan 2011 19:00:38 +0000 Helen Coonan | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillards-bad-diplomacy-is-enough-to-drive-you-xananas/ Something appears to have gone awry with our new Prime Minister Julia Gillard. By all accounts, those who know the PM hold her in high regard as a pleasant and personable woman. However, she seems to have forgotten her manners, given her bullish behaviour towards our northern neighbours in East Timor. The diplomatic gaffe now unfolding from Ms Gillard’s Pacific East Timor Solution reflects Kevin Rudd’s own arrogant approach to foreign affairs. The Labor Government 1.0 saw Mr Rudd announce his idea for an Asia Pacific Community, to our incredulous neighbours, a plan which never got off the ground thanks largely in part to Rudd’s failure to consult with Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and other ASEAN nations. It was trademark Rudd – no consultation on policy because Rudd knew best. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Helen Coonan) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillards-bad-diplomacy-is-enough-to-drive-you-xananas/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillards-bad-diplomacy-is-enough-to-drive-you-xananas/#item3512 Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:35:33 +0000 Helen Coonan | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/kevin-rudd-gymnast/ How does a PM with seemingly no intestinal fortitude execute so many superb backflips? A sticky narrative is weaving itself into the Australian psyche about Kevin Rudd’s flexible floor work in the field of political gymnastics. Having changed his position on boats, batts and broadband, climate change and building 260 extra childcare centres, it’s no surprise that the metaphorical gym mat appears ready for Mr Rudd to execute a half-twist triple-pike on the recently unveiled mining resources “super profits tax”. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Helen Coonan) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/kevin-rudd-gymnast/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/kevin-rudd-gymnast/#item3010 Wed, 05 May 2010 18:32:24 +0000 Helen Coonan | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/note-to-swan-and-treasury-show-me-the-money-problem-with-our-ets/ In conventional Wayne Swan fashion, he was triumphant as he unveiled Treasury’s stern rebuttal of Frontier Economics research report into an alternative emissions trading scheme. Given the Rudd Government’s deeply flawed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, the Coalition had commissioned the report in order to inform discussions about a better carbon trading scheme. But yesterday Mr Swan informed reporters that a $3.2 billion hole had been found in Frontier’s alternative by the Treasury Department. So where is the modelling? Mr Swan has refused to release it and until he does, Treasury’s alleged rebuttal amounts to zip. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Helen Coonan) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/note-to-swan-and-treasury-show-me-the-money-problem-with-our-ets/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/note-to-swan-and-treasury-show-me-the-money-problem-with-our-ets/#item1457 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:48:30 +0000 Helen Coonan | Author bios | The Punch