http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/lainie-anderson/ In between being a mum to young twin boys, a freelance writer and running her own business, Lainie Anderson somehow finds the time to write a provocative weekly column in Adelaide’s Sunday Mail. She’s a former state political reporter for Melbourne’s Herald Sun and also spent a couple of years at The Times in London. Her favourite question is: “Did you know I’ve run three marathons?” en Copyright 2013 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +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/This-toxic-asylum-debate-is-poisoning-everyones-chances/ Recently I wrote about Mike Osborne, a respected British immigrant who yearns to be a true Aussie, but can’t because he’s trapped on an obsolete visa with no pathway to permanent residency. Here are some online responses that came through on AdelaideNow.com.au: “This is what happens when honest people arrive in Australia legally. Unbelievable!” wrote someone calling themselves Fair Suck of the Sauce Bottle. “Arrive on a boat and the Government will throw everything it can your direction and be encouraging you to become an Australian Citizen,” said Judi of Adelaide. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Lainie Anderson) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/This-toxic-asylum-debate-is-poisoning-everyones-chances/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/This-toxic-asylum-debate-is-poisoning-everyones-chances/#item10702 Sat, 02 Mar 2013 19:50:14 +0000 Lainie Anderson | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/rea-life-according-to-mkr/ David Attenborough teaches us about the birds and the bees, Four Corners reveals what’s happening in the world, but for real lessons in life, I reckon you can’t go past MKR. Yes, it’s over-produced and the cross-marketing is shameless and the catty contestants always [itals] say[end itals] they’re misrepresented and the ads go on forever ... but there’s nothing this show can’t teach us about self-respect, teamwork and how to get ahead. Be humble, first and foremost. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Lainie Anderson) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/rea-life-according-to-mkr/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/rea-life-according-to-mkr/#item10620 Sat, 16 Feb 2013 23:30:12 +0000 Lainie Anderson | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/would-you-trust-these-people-to-teach-your-children-values/ Within hours of the drug scandal engulfing Essendon this week, I received an email with the subject heading: “Bomber’s new fitness coach.” Attached was a photo of Lance Armstrong in an Essendon guernsey: a light-hearted, viral response to an increasingly dark national disgrace. I’ve always had a pretty simplistic (some might say naive) view of sport’s role in shaping young lives: sport will teach them the value of teamwork and discipline; it will introduce them to new friends; and if they’re focussed on being fit, they’re less likely to get into drugs. Like many Aussie parents, I’ve also watched my boys and their mates as they’ve found their feet on the footy field, and wondered if any of them has what it takes to play AFL. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Lainie Anderson) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/would-you-trust-these-people-to-teach-your-children-values/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/would-you-trust-these-people-to-teach-your-children-values/#item10573 Sat, 09 Feb 2013 20:00:27 +0000 Lainie Anderson | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hey-liberals-how-about-a-bit-of-opposition/ “Worn down, cut off and out of ideas.” That was Friday’s headline on the resignation of Liberal leader Isobel Redmond, but it pretty much sums up the pitiful state of the South Australian parliamentary Liberal team as a whole. Now that Izzy has fallen on her sword, we can only hope this squabbling bunch of brats has a quick reality check, remembers that we pay their wages and finally understands that we expect them to play a role in the direction of South Australia. I am so sick of hearing about leadership instability, factional brawling and petty personal bickering (bickering that apparently dates back to the 1970s in some cases and parental spats in others). feedback@thepunch.com.au (Lainie Anderson) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hey-liberals-how-about-a-bit-of-opposition/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hey-liberals-how-about-a-bit-of-opposition/#item10527 Sat, 02 Feb 2013 19:50:58 +0000 Lainie Anderson | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/taking-endless-selfies-in-the-big-cafe-of-life/ We’ve all been there: relaxing over Sunday coffee in a lovely little cafe, only to have the peace pierced by the screeching of a baby who clearly doesn’t like the latte. So, what to do? Do you politely ask the parents to remove their bawling bundle of joy, or do you suck it up and have your own Sunday ruined by unholy howling. In Sydney, one cafe goer has sparked a fierce debate by rising up for the silent majority to ask the parents of a screaming baby “to take their child for a walk or find another solution”. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Lainie Anderson) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/taking-endless-selfies-in-the-big-cafe-of-life/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/taking-endless-selfies-in-the-big-cafe-of-life/#item10478 Sat, 26 Jan 2013 19:55:49 +0000 Lainie Anderson | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/thanks-holidays-for-showing-me-how-things-have-changed/ The kids still look miserable when a cold wind blows. The car still fills with sand on the way home. And a hot shower still fixes everything by 10am. I’ve been watching the kids do VACSWIM at Port Vincent all this week – on the same beach where I splashed my way through the iconic summer swimming program 30-odd years ago. A few things have remained the same since the ’70s – but a whole lot’s different too. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Lainie Anderson) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/thanks-holidays-for-showing-me-how-things-have-changed/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/thanks-holidays-for-showing-me-how-things-have-changed/#item10378 Sat, 12 Jan 2013 19:45:37 +0000 Lainie Anderson | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/such-a-private-thing-as-grief-for-some-is-eased-in-public/ Roadside memorials: ugly eyesores or acceptable tributes? It’s a question I’ve often asked myself when driving past faded flowers, bleached notes and weathered mementos (usually gathered around implacable old gumtrees in the Adelaide Hills). Call me callous, but in the past I’ve always viewed them as just plain maudlin – especially as the months drag by and they become increasingly bedraggled and forlorn. Then on Thursday I read about Eric O’Neil, a heartbroken dad grieving the loss of his 31-year-old son Allen, who died three years ago in a workplace accident. Since early 2010, Eric has maintained a small beachside memorial to his son near the Christies Beach Surf Lifesaving Club. He leaves a beer at Christmas and other special occasions, symbolically sharing a drink with a son he loves and misses so much. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Lainie Anderson) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/such-a-private-thing-as-grief-for-some-is-eased-in-public/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/such-a-private-thing-as-grief-for-some-is-eased-in-public/#item10332 Sat, 05 Jan 2013 19:59:59 +0000 Lainie Anderson | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-story-of-love-betrayal-and-burnt-sausages/ A few months ago, when Max was safely out of the country, I did something so shocking that it’s turned our 10-year relationship on its axis. I pensioned off our flame-throwing, four-burner, char-beast from hell and bought a WeberQ (with built-in thermometer and a higher lid to allow for the baking of large roasts). The time had come. While it had been nice to sit back and watch Max reducing scotch fillets to crusts of carbon, I always dreamed of a better way. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Lainie Anderson) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-story-of-love-betrayal-and-burnt-sausages/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-story-of-love-betrayal-and-burnt-sausages/#item10299 Sat, 29 Dec 2012 19:49:59 +0000 Lainie Anderson | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/your-survival-guide-for-the-school-holidays/ Only 37 days to go. Never mind the countdown to Christmas. It’s the five weeks stretching out between now and the 2013 school year that’s got me feeling more ruffled than six geese a-laying. As part of my eternal quest to divert Jack and Harry from Wii games, iPods and TV, I texted a heap of friends to ask how they get through the school holidays. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Lainie Anderson) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/your-survival-guide-for-the-school-holidays/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/your-survival-guide-for-the-school-holidays/#item10279 Sat, 22 Dec 2012 19:49:59 +0000 Lainie Anderson | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/obama-has-nothing-to-lose-from-a-gun-lobby-fight/ For hours, I’ve been arguing with my husband about how to start this column. I want to begin as a mum, with an emotional response to America’s worst school shooting – to write about how sad and angry I feel that 20 little kids have been gunned down. I want to express my sorrow for the families in Connecticut who will never again experience the joy of Christmas without grieving for a lost child – who are right now planning funerals instead of wrapping presents. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Lainie Anderson) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/obama-has-nothing-to-lose-from-a-gun-lobby-fight/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/obama-has-nothing-to-lose-from-a-gun-lobby-fight/#item10230 Sat, 15 Dec 2012 19:59:59 +0000 Lainie Anderson | Author bios | The Punch