http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/ian-wallace/ Bio on Ian Wallace Ian Wallace is a Brisbane based freelance social commentator. In recent years his commentary has featured mainly in mainstream printed media and on commercial radio and the ABC. Ian has enjoyed multi faceted career as a senior executive in Education, Management and major project development in both the public and private sectors. For five years in the 1980’s Ian served on both the Queensland and National Advisory Councils of the ABC influencing programming especially for rural and remote constituents. His involvement in music saw him appointed as the Executive Manager of the Queensland Conservatorium and he consulted on the redevelopment of the Sydney Conservatorium. Now semi retired Ian enjoys his freelance writing and pursues an active lifestyle with his wife at major ski resorts in Australia, New Zealand and Canada.   en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +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/Sport-has-room-for-prayer-but-not-in-prayer-rooms/ The Queensland Maroons and their supporters in Melbourne for the State of Origin clash at Etihad Stadium are unlikely to seek the solace of a prayer room in the stadium to ensure success. The Blues and their supporters are facing a seventh consecutive series loss so the prayer room may be their only hope. A prayer room, for all denominations, has recently been introduced at Etihad Stadium. The Australian Football League (AFL) wants all of its major football venues to house a place of worship. The AFL intention comes after the Richmond Club’s mid fielder Bachar Houli a devout Muslim said the requirement for Muslims to pray five times a day was stopping many from attending AFL games. I know many Rugby League fans of the Muslim faith and they don’t seem deterred from attending games due to the absence of a prayer room. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Ian Wallace) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Sport-has-room-for-prayer-but-not-in-prayer-rooms/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Sport-has-room-for-prayer-but-not-in-prayer-rooms/#item8542 Sun, 20 May 2012 19:35:22 +0000 Ian Wallace | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/wary-cass-another-of-cyclone-yasis-victims/ Life was not meant to be easy for cassowaries. I am writing this as I enjoy an escape at my in-laws hideaway retreat in the middle of a rainforest in Far North Queensland. It’s raining. Heavy tropical rain is best experienced in a dense rainforest setting. It is a unique form of entertainment for a city slicker - especially when many of the other trappings of modern city life are non-existent. There is no mobile phone coverage, no town water - just a bore - a sub-soil waste management distribution system and very poor and infrequent radio reception even with an aerial. My link to the outside world is a satellite broadband set-up for internet - no television. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Ian Wallace) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/wary-cass-another-of-cyclone-yasis-victims/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/wary-cass-another-of-cyclone-yasis-victims/#item6982 Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:35:28 +0000 Ian Wallace | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ex-pollies-just-shut-up-and-put-the-kettle-on/ I am becoming increasingly tired of seeing, hearing or reading in the media, former Prime Ministers or politicians struggling to retire from political power and influence with dignity. Anyone with even a modest interest in politics could compile a substantial list in just a few minutes. Think Malcolm Fraser, Bob Hawke, Pauline Hanson, Peter Beattie, Bob Carr, Cheryl Kernot, Jeff Kennett, Mark Latham, John Hewson, Peter Costello, Graham Richardson and Peter Reith and you will have just started. Why don’t these ex-pollies just put the kettle on and relax? Then of course there is deposed Prime Minister Kevin Rudd who is suffering the “Kath and Kim “ syndrome: “Look at me, look at me, look at me!” feedback@thepunch.com.au (Ian Wallace) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ex-pollies-just-shut-up-and-put-the-kettle-on/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ex-pollies-just-shut-up-and-put-the-kettle-on/#item6958 Thu, 20 Oct 2011 19:45:35 +0000 Ian Wallace | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/were-getting-too-fat-for-our-coffins/ A recent survey by an international health insurer, which involved 13,000 people from 12 countries, found Australians are world leaders in self denial when it comes to being fat.   Despite 76 per cent of the Australians surveyed believing it is the individual’s responsibility to adopt preventive health measures, the results demonstrated that 60 per cent of those Australians surveyed were overweight or obese. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Ian Wallace) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/were-getting-too-fat-for-our-coffins/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/were-getting-too-fat-for-our-coffins/#item6730 Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:40:46 +0000 Ian Wallace | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/you-like-your-friends-but-do-you-really-like-them/ Humans are social creatures and require human contact but the digital age has caused a seismic shift in how we experience life and engage with others. Gen Y for example is now the most connected generation the world has ever seen. Australian social commentator Hugh Mackay has labelled this as a new form of RSI - Reduced Social Interaction. He says people are not getting the ‘‘emotional nutrition’’ of spending time face to face with others. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Ian Wallace) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/you-like-your-friends-but-do-you-really-like-them/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/you-like-your-friends-but-do-you-really-like-them/#item6389 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 19:40:08 +0000 Ian Wallace | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/talking-to-pollies-youre-forum-or-against-em/ I have always been sceptical of televised people’s forums. I always assumed that the audience participants were not truly uncommitted voters and that poll results or “worm” results were not a true reflection of the event. I have often felt the programs are simply propaganda designed for the question under review.  In this specific case - to implement a carbon tax. An audience member of a recent ABC episode of Q & A confirmed my scepticism. They claimed the whole thing is staged from start to finish including the producers urging the audience to look thoughtful just in case the cameras panned in on their faces. This audience member claimed they were contacted by email for possible questions and every question was deliberately hand picked from those submitted. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Ian Wallace) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/talking-to-pollies-youre-forum-or-against-em/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/talking-to-pollies-youre-forum-or-against-em/#item6334 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 19:35:32 +0000 Ian Wallace | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/tights-jeggings-leggings-theyre-all-pants/ Wearing tights as pants is the fashion for women as the winter months approach. Tights should never be used as substitutes for pants. It is not a flattering look. Whenever a female appears wearing tights or leggings as pants this topic is discussed robustly within families and workplaces all over Australia.  The website tightsarenotpants.com has gone as far as publishing a manifesto against tights worn as pants and even offers copyright-free templates of a logo and stickers to be used as protest material. Editor’s note: Aussie readers would be more familiar with the term “leggings” instead of tights. “Jeggings” presumably come under the same category. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Ian Wallace) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/tights-jeggings-leggings-theyre-all-pants/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/tights-jeggings-leggings-theyre-all-pants/#item5873 Wed, 18 May 2011 19:40:06 +0000 Ian Wallace | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/financial-responsibility-can-reward-when-disaster-strikes/ My wife and I came from traditional working class backgrounds and single income families. We are now considered middle class as we live in our own home, we own a newish car and enjoy a comfortable lifestyle because we have worked hard and saved for the future.  Our home, car and assets are insured and we have managed our finances carefully in order to access such benefits as private health insurance. In the current economic climate we are regarded as “haves” but we seem despised by some elements of the community who consider themselves the “have nots” American pollster John Zogby sees a growing number of the community falling into the “have not” category. He calls them the “Dreamless Dead” being those who no longer believe in the existence of hard work to achieve success in life. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Ian Wallace) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/financial-responsibility-can-reward-when-disaster-strikes/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/financial-responsibility-can-reward-when-disaster-strikes/#item5686 Sun, 24 Apr 2011 19:55:03 +0000 Ian Wallace | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/how-much-weather-porn-can-we-watch/ I have lived in Tully and Innisfail and survived cyclones when I resided there. I was evacuated in the recent Brisbane floods for five days but fortunately the water surrounding my house stopped just before it entered. I am currently in North America and been bombarded with weather warnings about the “Snow storm of the century” I admit that during the time that Cyclone Yasi was crossing the North Queensland coast I was listening to ABC radio here in North America on the internet as I was concerned for the welfare of friends and relatives living there. The aim of a severe weather warning is to prevent a weather hazard from becoming a disaster. I am amazed however at the national extent of the weather hysteria devoted by the media and politicians both here and in Australia when accurate and credible warnings for potentially affected areas are all that are required. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Ian Wallace) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/how-much-weather-porn-can-we-watch/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/how-much-weather-porn-can-we-watch/#item5072 Sun, 13 Feb 2011 19:40:44 +0000 Ian Wallace | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/fixing-the-failed-state-that-is-regional-australia/ The question of whether city or country is best has been an ongoing debate for a long time. I heard it often as I worked in Brisbane for thirty years and prior to that as I lived and worked in various regional, rural and remote locations in Queensland for extended periods. In the 1200’s Marco Polo a merchant and great traveller declared cities were best. For twenty-four years Polo journeyed to and from Venice to China along the Great Silk Road. On his travels he encountered many great cities including Constantinople, Baghdad and Beijing and he realised that cities were far more important to the economy of the Silk Road than the country areas through which it passed. In 2010 in Australia the independent federal politicians are about to “turbo-charge” regional and rural Australia according to their spokesperson Rob Oakeshott. They have secured a new $10 billion regional investment fund in return for their votes and they seek to prove Marco Polo’s assessment wrong. For them the country is at least as important as the city. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Ian Wallace) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/fixing-the-failed-state-that-is-regional-australia/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/fixing-the-failed-state-that-is-regional-australia/#item4213 Sun, 10 Oct 2010 19:35:32 +0000 Ian Wallace | Author bios | The Punch