http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/malcolm-farr/ Malcolm Farr has lived in Canberra for nearly 19 years and is News.com.au’s National Political Editor. 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/weve-got-the-perfect-slipper-for-this-royal-carriage/ Queen Elizabeth turned 80 on April 21, 2006, but a magnificent gift from Australia which taxpayers helped fund has yet to reach the birthday girl. In fact it is 2224 days late for the celebrations and it seems it might never be delivered, even as the Queen now prepares for her Diamond Jubilee at age 86. The present is a state coach—specifically State Coach Britannia—lovingly built by Sydney craftsman Jim Frecklington with the help of a $245,000 grant from the Coalition government of John Howard, a Senate estimates committee was told yesterday. farrm@news.com.au (Malcolm Farr) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/weve-got-the-perfect-slipper-for-this-royal-carriage/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/weve-got-the-perfect-slipper-for-this-royal-carriage/#item8565 Tue, 22 May 2012 19:45:21 +0000 Malcolm Farr | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/thomson-couldnt-answer-the-question-everyone-is-asking/ Like a good movie director, Craig Thomson knew the scene which would get the most viewers should be kept until towards the end, and that is when he finally addressed the allegations he on seven occasions hired prostitutes. But he also knew that this was the allegation for which he had to have the strongest defence, the most convincing line of rebuttal. And he just didn’t. As Mr Thomson said today after around 35 minutes of speaking: “One of the things I have difficulty in making an explanation about - and I’m certainly not going to use parliamentary privilege to lie or change that - is in relation to phones and how records were on my phones. I don’t have an explanation.” farrm@news.com.au (Malcolm Farr) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/thomson-couldnt-answer-the-question-everyone-is-asking/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/thomson-couldnt-answer-the-question-everyone-is-asking/#item8549 Mon, 21 May 2012 04:30:48 +0000 Malcolm Farr | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/A-big-day-for-Thomson-who-thus-far-is-guilty-of-nothing/ Craig Thomson’s address to Parliament at noon today will be unprecedented, but don’t expect much that is new to come from it. The basics, and great slabs of the detail, of the allegations against the former Labor MP and Health Services Union secretary have been public currency since 2009. Mr Thomson’s version of events has also been widely known, at least in outline. We could get critical detail. farrm@news.com.au (Malcolm Farr) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/A-big-day-for-Thomson-who-thus-far-is-guilty-of-nothing/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/A-big-day-for-Thomson-who-thus-far-is-guilty-of-nothing/#item8545 Sun, 20 May 2012 20:00:30 +0000 Malcolm Farr | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/meet-the-anti-craig-thomson/ He turned up on the stage of the Sydney Convention Centre yesterday looking like he was outfitted by a tailor legally barred from using the endorsement “bespoke”, and with a hairdo a trainee mate might have tended to. He had started on the shop floor unencumbered by a university degree, and yet there he was prepared to give advice to political queens and business emperors. He was available to help shape a $1.5 trillion economy when at his peak earning years he might have taken in just a bit over $90,000 annually. farrm@news.com.au (Malcolm Farr) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/meet-the-anti-craig-thomson/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/meet-the-anti-craig-thomson/#item8511 Tue, 15 May 2012 19:55:50 +0000 Malcolm Farr | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-festival-of-kevin-is-not-over-yet/ It was organised as a celebration of Australian car makers but the 250 people in the Great Hall of Parliament House found themselves witnessing a reunion of Veterans of Labor Leadership Wars. A big chunk of the event became what one attendee called “a festival of Kevin”. Kevin Rudd that is, of course. What was designed as a rousing salute to the automotive industry had to share the focus with anti-Gillard comrades-in-arms uniting on a stage, and in videos. farrm@news.com.au (Malcolm Farr) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-festival-of-kevin-is-not-over-yet/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-festival-of-kevin-is-not-over-yet/#item8485 Sun, 13 May 2012 20:00:47 +0000 Malcolm Farr | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/my-names-tony-from-the-burbs-and-im-here-to-help/ Tony Abbott delivered a speech in which he portrayed himself - one of the most radical MPs of his era - as a mainstream kind of bloke. The Budget in Reply speech last night wasn’t so much about Tuesday’s Budget and there was no demand on Abbott to produce a detailed counter to Wayne Swan’s economic statement. It was a bid to soften the edges of his public image in contrast to the “class war” stridency of Julia Gillard. farrm@news.com.au (Malcolm Farr) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/my-names-tony-from-the-burbs-and-im-here-to-help/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/my-names-tony-from-the-burbs-and-im-here-to-help/#item8473 Thu, 10 May 2012 10:45:04 +0000 Malcolm Farr | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/even-the-pollies-are-sick-of-the-craig-thomson-saga/ Parliament is growing weary of Craig Thomson riding the “presumption of innocence’’ principle for all he is worth. In fact, Parliament is tired of Craig Thomson. The allegations against him point to behavior so objectionable that if true would be more than enough to end Mr Thomson’s public life. But it’s not just the allegations. The Health Services Union saga has been so drawn out - over close to five years - that even the most staunch defender of the right to proper process is wondering when that entitlement becomes a means to dodge accountability. farrm@news.com.au (Malcolm Farr) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/even-the-pollies-are-sick-of-the-craig-thomson-saga/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/even-the-pollies-are-sick-of-the-craig-thomson-saga/#item8459 Wed, 09 May 2012 06:45:51 +0000 Malcolm Farr | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/this-federal-budget-is-all-about-the-next-election/ How long would the Government have lingered over this question: Do we try and probably fail to give companies $4.7 billion or do we back the sure thing of offering the cash to grateful families? In a Budget devoted to suburban street politics more than high road economic management, the answer would be: Not much. Given that a large chunk of that money, around $1.5 billion in 2012-13 and 2013-14, would be handed out as voters approached an election, it’s no surprise that the families won. farrm@news.com.au (Malcolm Farr) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/this-federal-budget-is-all-about-the-next-election/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/this-federal-budget-is-all-about-the-next-election/#item8447 Tue, 08 May 2012 10:00:02 +0000 Malcolm Farr | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Tonight-is-about-the-surplus-not-leadership-speculation/ Australian wage earners fear an economic winter during the northern hemisphere summer and are saving to protect themselves from what they believe could be another big global crunch. Yesterday the financial markets were jolted by the elevation of anti-austerity parties in France and Greece in weekend elections and immediately took cover. It was a rare moment of rational, ordinary Australians and occasionally irrational markets being in accord: You have got to defend yourself against countries not capable of looking after themselves. farrm@news.com.au (Malcolm Farr) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Tonight-is-about-the-surplus-not-leadership-speculation/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Tonight-is-about-the-surplus-not-leadership-speculation/#item8432 Mon, 07 May 2012 20:00:48 +0000 Malcolm Farr | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/union-movement-trying-to-fight-off-hsu-disease/ There are just 1.83 million members of trade unions in Australia, roughly 18.4 per cent of the national workforce. Take out the heavily unionized public services and the proportion is 13.2 per cent. That means about 1.3 million out of 10 million workers in all areas are employed in private companies and are in trade unions. It’s these 1.3 million workers - a scrap of the dwindling union membership - that the Opposition will be targeting today with claims that the entire union movement is led by self-indulgent shonks who have been wasting their money and their trust. There will be indications of this having happened in one trade union, but all will be painted by the Health Services Union brush. The Fair Work Australia report on the Health Services Union has been bouncing around the bureaucracy unloved and unwanted but today will be released to those most eager to embrace its 1100 pages of findings. farrm@news.com.au (Malcolm Farr) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/union-movement-trying-to-fight-off-hsu-disease/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/union-movement-trying-to-fight-off-hsu-disease/#item8424 Sun, 06 May 2012 19:55:44 +0000 Malcolm Farr | Author bios | The Punch