http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/julia-thornton/ Julia Thornton is an unashamed Gen X, post modernist and iconoclast. Trained in public relations, she spent 13 years in government and corporate communications and knows a disaster when she sees it. She lives in Queensland with her husband and daughter, both of whom appreciate her keeping her maiden name, where she writes and dabbles with her own microbusiness. 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/Annas-flood-of-empathy-wont-wash-with-the-public/ Queensland finally is in real election mode and I finally saw an election ad on television last night. During a campaign, voters are treated to positive ads and negative ads and last night we had the first “positive” ad from Labor. I think it’s positive. It’s a confusing shot over the bow because this advertisement shows various photos and footage of Premier Anna Bligh during last year’s flood and cyclone crises. She jumps from helicopters, hugs victims, walks through muddy water and looks less than perfect in the middle of Queensland’s biggest natural disaster on record. The background voice is of Bligh making the “We are Queenslanders” speech during one of her press conference updates during the floods last year. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Julia Thornton) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Annas-flood-of-empathy-wont-wash-with-the-public/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Annas-flood-of-empathy-wont-wash-with-the-public/#item7808 Mon, 20 Feb 2012 01:45:02 +0000 Julia Thornton | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/politicians-dont-have-to-live-in-their-own-electorates/ How far do you commute to work? One hour? Twenty minutes? Do you work from home? Where’s head office? Do you think a person who has to drive 15 minutes to their workplace is unqualified to do the job? In politics, like no other job, being born and raised in the one area is some sort of political necessity. It’s a ridiculous thought because if we all thought like that, we’d be doing piecemeal work from home on looms. This week, Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd called Campbell Newman an ‘alien’ because Newman doesn’t live within the electoral boundary of Ashgrove. Newman lives one suburb away from the seat of Ashgrove. Does this mean he is unqualified to represent the people of Ashgrove? feedback@thepunch.com.au (Julia Thornton) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/politicians-dont-have-to-live-in-their-own-electorates/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/politicians-dont-have-to-live-in-their-own-electorates/#item7668 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:50:18 +0000 Julia Thornton | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-qld-election-decoded/ We’re off to the polls on 24 March. If you’re confused about what’s happening in Queensland with our State election, I’d like to help confuse you more. The biggest complicating factor for the Queensland General Election, which is due before the end of March was the local government elections were due on 31 March. That left Premier Bligh with either dates of 18 or 24 February, or get mixed up in Easter or wait until May and by then she wouldn’t have a mandate. The Electoral Commission Queensland has asked repeatedly for a six-week buffer between the two general elections. To her credit, Premier Bligh has respected that and shunted the local government elections to April or May and scheduled the General Election for 24 March. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Julia Thornton) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-qld-election-decoded/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-qld-election-decoded/#item7608 Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:20:41 +0000 Julia Thornton | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/is-it-naughty-or-nice-to-keep-the-santa-lie-alive/ I don’t usually quote Rodney Adler. He’s not really my type of role model. But he said something during the HIH Royal Commission which has stuck with me. I can’t remember the exact context but he was being cross-examined and asked about why he covered up certain financial issues or didn’t report others. His response was: he had to keep the lie alive. That would have been about 10 years ago now and suddenly “keep the lie alive” is running through my head, particularly now I have a small child and it’s Christmas. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Julia Thornton) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/is-it-naughty-or-nice-to-keep-the-santa-lie-alive/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/is-it-naughty-or-nice-to-keep-the-santa-lie-alive/#item7405 Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:35:32 +0000 Julia Thornton | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/A-lack-of-smacks-is-behind-the-attacks/ Child psychologists everywhere will hate me for what I am about to say but I hope they take a good long hard look at what’s going on in England and think about how they’re teaching modern parenting. In light of the riots in England, stories about the evils of smacking are a load of bunkum. I’m old fashioned when it comes to raising my child. I’ve smacked. I admit it. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Julia Thornton) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/A-lack-of-smacks-is-behind-the-attacks/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/A-lack-of-smacks-is-behind-the-attacks/#item6481 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 19:55:02 +0000 Julia Thornton | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-invisible-woman/ Every woman hits a time in her life when she suddenly becomes invisible. I am at that age.  Except yesterday. I was walking down the street, not looking like a mum for a change, and a young guy wearing too much aftershave stopped talking to his mate as he watched me approach and pass him by.  It was sort of flattering: that I can still stop a conversation and even more flattering knowing that they weren’t drunk. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Julia Thornton) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-invisible-woman/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-invisible-woman/#item6175 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:34:59 +0000 Julia Thornton | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/try-before-you-buy-then-buy/ Queensland retailers are revolting. Well, they’re fighting back against the trend of people who enter their shops, try on their stuff and then leave without buying it. What shoppers are doing is sizing it so they can buy it online. As an online shopper, I take a lot of risks with my purchases. Ask anyone I know if they’ve been given something I’ve bought online because it was too small or too big. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Julia Thornton) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/try-before-you-buy-then-buy/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/try-before-you-buy-then-buy/#item5662 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 19:45:22 +0000 Julia Thornton | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/julia-and-time-are-off-to-the-palace/ It’s been a long time since I heard anyone bag Queensland the way they used to. Wayne Goss (Queensland Premier 1989 to 1996) introduced a number of reforms to bring Queensland into line socially with the rest of the country and combined with a sudden growth spurt, largely from the interstate migration of people from New South Wales and Victoria over the past 10 years, the sophistication gap between north and south is disappearing. We may not have a Mardi Gras, but froth isn’t spooned onto cappuccinos anymore and salads have moved on from crinkle cut carrots and snowpeas. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Julia Thornton) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/julia-and-time-are-off-to-the-palace/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/julia-and-time-are-off-to-the-palace/#item5422 Sun, 20 Mar 2011 19:45:20 +0000 Julia Thornton | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/its-political-correctness-gone-maaaaaaad/ It’s been a big week this week for the politically correct. Tracey Spicer is worried her children are being indoctrinated into Christianity at school. Some Coalition backbenchers are worried they can’t indoctrinate new citizens to Christianity. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Julia Thornton) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/its-political-correctness-gone-maaaaaaad/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/its-political-correctness-gone-maaaaaaad/#item5291 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 19:55:36 +0000 Julia Thornton | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dont-let-todays-technology-control-you/ It’s no secret that I am a fan of Facebook. It should be no surprise that I like it. I am a 30-something, stay-at-home mother, and I work from home part-time, freelance. And it is a lonely life. Activities with babies last one or two hours, then it’s you and the baby or toddler, toys with bells and blocks. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Julia Thornton) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dont-let-todays-technology-control-you/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dont-let-todays-technology-control-you/#item4975 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:40:10 +0000 Julia Thornton | Author bios | The Punch