http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/mark-arbib/ Mark Arbib is a Labor Senator for NSW and the Minister for Sport, Indigenous Employment and Economic Development, Social Housing and Homelessness. He was general secretary of the NSW ALP from 2004 to 2007. 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/the-kids-are-alright-tony/ Tony Abbott’s claim this week that only the “right kids” should be encouraged to stay in school misunderstands the jobs market, the needs of business and is not in the best interests of our kids. It‘s true that not all young people want or need to go to university and they shouldn’t have to. But gone are the days when young people could finish Year 10 and walk into a job or a trade without qualifications. Our economy has changed and employers increasingly desire higher levels of education and deeper levels of understanding. Think about the skills required by today’s mechanics, electricians and plumbers. Technical, computer and environmental changes mean these sorts of trades have become more complex and require a higher level of vocational skills. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Mark Arbib) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-kids-are-alright-tony/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-kids-are-alright-tony/#item7277 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:45:06 +0000 Mark Arbib | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/to-go-or-not-to-delhi-2010-should-be-up-to-individuals/ Watching Robert de Castella win the marathon at the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games is one of my favourite sporting memories. De Castella trailed two runners from Tanzania for most of the race, eventually powering home to win in the last 100 metres. It’s what the Commonwealth Games is all about. During the Republic debate in 1999, one of the most frequently asked questions was if Australia became a Republic could we still attend the Commonwealth Games? The answer of course was yes, but it showed how much the Commonwealth Games is part of our rich sporting history and national identity. In just nine days, 390 Australian athletes will join 7,000 athletes and officials from 71 nations around the world to write the newest chapter in Commonwealth Games history. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Mark Arbib) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/to-go-or-not-to-delhi-2010-should-be-up-to-individuals/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/to-go-or-not-to-delhi-2010-should-be-up-to-individuals/#item4109 Fri, 24 Sep 2010 02:00:19 +0000 Mark Arbib | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/indigenous-all-stars-more-than-just-a-footy-match/ When the Indigenous All Stars run on to Skilled Park tomorrow night it won’t be just another game of football. The game has been sold out for months and has been a dream of Indigenous league players and Indigenous people for decades. For the indigenous players it’s about more than just rugby league – it’s a chance to represent and pay tribute to their communities and people. The game is a celebration of indigenous culture and has great symbolism, but equally important will be the profound effect it has on Indigenous youth. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Mark Arbib) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/indigenous-all-stars-more-than-just-a-footy-match/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/indigenous-all-stars-more-than-just-a-footy-match/#item2382 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:42:19 +0000 Mark Arbib | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Work-while-you-can-but-not-til-you-drop/ This week’s release of the 2010 Intergenerational Report by Treasurer Wayne Swan brought the issue of mature-age workers rightly into the spotlight. Few issues are as important to our nation’s future as responding to the long-term trend of an ageing population.  It was therefore disappointing to see the inflammatory response of Coalition Seniors spokesperson Bronwyn Bishop claiming that the Government was demonising older people and forcing them to work until they drop. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Mark Arbib) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Work-while-you-can-but-not-til-you-drop/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Work-while-you-can-but-not-til-you-drop/#item2301 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:35:21 +0000 Mark Arbib | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/my-speech-on-gen-y-was-about-tough-love/ In a speech to Young Labor seven months ago I said that generations were often unfairly criticised by the ones which preceded them. The young adults of Generation Y are often generalised as being plagued by apathy and indifference. They’re sometimes called lazy and ungrateful for the many perceived advantages they have over earlier generations. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Mark Arbib) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/my-speech-on-gen-y-was-about-tough-love/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/my-speech-on-gen-y-was-about-tough-love/#item754 Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:45:37 +0000 Mark Arbib | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/child-abuse-is-still-our-national-shame/ The shocking case last week of a two-year-old Victorian girl being savagely beaten has once again raised the issue of child abuse into the headlines. It has started an important debate about when to remove children from their parents and what constitutes a child at risk. Despite some horrifying high profile cases in recent years, child abuse is a problem that many Australians still think is limited to a certain section of the community. While this view might make it easier for us to sleep at night, it does nothing to protect the more than 30,000 Australian children who were abused or neglected last year. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Mark Arbib) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/child-abuse-is-still-our-national-shame/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/child-abuse-is-still-our-national-shame/#item694 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:40:56 +0000 Mark Arbib | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/frightening-the-life-out-of-voters-debt-scare-campaign/ The late Lee Atwater is a legend in the US Republican Party. Hailing from South Carolina he successfully rewrote the book on American election campaigning. Atwater ran scare campaigns and he was good at it. He made a name for himself in the early 1980’s with his aggressive campaign tactics including push polling and dog whistling on racial issues in the South. Atwater won election after election running scare campaigns on any issue he could find. He ran scare campaigns on religion; he ran scare campaigns on race; he once even ran a scare campaign claiming his opponent was unfit for office because he had suffered from depression as a teenager. Lee Atwater understood people and, more importantly, he understood the power of emotion over rational thought. He used to say that people vote their fears over their hopes and that fact shaped his campaigning. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Mark Arbib) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/frightening-the-life-out-of-voters-debt-scare-campaign/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/frightening-the-life-out-of-voters-debt-scare-campaign/#item363 Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:50:14 +0000 Mark Arbib | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/new-jobs-minister-vows-to-help-you-keep-yours/ There aren’t many things that are more important than making sure someone has a job. If you want to fix inequality and social disadvantage in a community, if you want to give someone a leg-up in life, you find them a decent job. For the Labor Party, jobs are in our DNA and that’s why it is such an honour to be sworn in today as the Federal Minister for Employment Participation. Sadly we are confronted with the reality that this week a new set of unemployment figures will come out and they will probably show more Australians are out of work. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Mark Arbib) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/new-jobs-minister-vows-to-help-you-keep-yours/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/new-jobs-minister-vows-to-help-you-keep-yours/#item271 Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:45:24 +0000 Mark Arbib | Author bios | The Punch