http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/natasha-stott-despoja/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. 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/both-sides-agree-but-will-a-referendum-happen/ Last week we witnessed a rare sight: bipartisan agreement on a national issue. Leaders of the major parties spoke movingly in favour of a referendum on recognition of indigenous Australians in our Constitution. Such oratory and good works rarely get the attention they deserve, let alone the votes. President Obama’s State of the Union address last week was also a marvel. It had everything: gun reform, Burma, increasing the minimum wage - yet, the oratory that moved me left the Republicans cold. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Natasha Stott Despoja) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/both-sides-agree-but-will-a-referendum-happen/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/both-sides-agree-but-will-a-referendum-happen/#item10628 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:45:32 +0000 Natasha Stott Despoja | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Politics-where-women-are-still-second-class-citizens/ Women seem to be the expendables in Australia politics. Yet, even I was surprised how Senator Trish Crossin was treated by the ALP machine at the behest of the Prime Minister when she was replaced by NT Senate candidate Nova Peris. No one can dispute the importance of an indigenous representative for the NT - especially one who will take her place in ‘herstory’ as the first female indigenous Federal MP- but the process has been questionable. The ALP federal record on indigenous representation is woeful, indeed negligible. The Australian Democrats ensured indigenous representation (Senator Aden Ridgeway, who became Deputy Leader) at the 1998 election and, long before that, the Liberal Party set a standard with the election of the late Queensland Senator Neville Bonner. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Natasha Stott Despoja) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Politics-where-women-are-still-second-class-citizens/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Politics-where-women-are-still-second-class-citizens/#item10543 Mon, 04 Feb 2013 20:00:09 +0000 Natasha Stott Despoja | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-postcard-from-washington-where-247-media-rules/ A whirlwind trip to Washington DC highlights the differences, and increasing similarities, between our systems. My congressional friends spoke of the “toxicity” of Congress. The chasm between Republican and Democrat views and values after a nasty election campaign. However, they are still more likely to cross party lines (and vote with their counterparts) than MPs in our rigid party system. Now the election is over, they are in “Lame Congress” territory, and talk revolves around the “fiscal cliff” - the potential economic impact of a series of tax increases, spending cuts to reduce the US budget deficit due at the start of next year. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Natasha Stott Despoja) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-postcard-from-washington-where-247-media-rules/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-postcard-from-washington-where-247-media-rules/#item10197 Mon, 10 Dec 2012 19:39:59 +0000 Natasha Stott Despoja | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/you-dont-nned-kids-to-have-empathy/ Babies have been at the forefront of politics lately. Politicians kissing babies is never a bad thing if it serves as a reminder of their current and future responsibilities. After countless successful missions, it was my millisecond look of sheer terror at the thought of dropping a colleague’s (former Senator Andrew Bartlett’s) four-day-old daughter that made headlines 11 years ago. It’s an award winning photograph by Patrick Hamilton. Needless to say, babysitting offers dropped off after that. In discussing last week’s changes to the Baby Bonus and the Treasurer’s notion that subsequent children cost less, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, said: “...I think if the government was a bit more experienced in this area, they wouldn’t come out with glib lines like that.” feedback@thepunch.com.au (Natasha Stott Despoja) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/you-dont-nned-kids-to-have-empathy/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/you-dont-nned-kids-to-have-empathy/#item9847 Mon, 29 Oct 2012 19:50:22 +0000 Natasha Stott Despoja | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/where-are-the-healers-in-this-fractured-parliament/ It’s rare for a Senator to visit the House of Representatives chamber. During my time in Parliament, I occupied the green benches for Joint sitting sessions (the visits of President Bill Clinton and the UK Prime Minister Tony Blair). And I sat in the Senators’ visitors chairs to watch the historic stem cell vote in 2006. Since leaving politics, I have observed two key - and unexpected - speeches in that place. I’ve written about Craig Thomson’s mea culpa speech previously and, last week, I watched Prime Minister’s Gillard’s “herstoric” speech on sexism. Much has been written about the difference between the Press Gallery’s take on that speech and the views of those who witnessed it. I was also struck by the dichotomy. Members in the Visitors’ Gallery watched in awe as Ms Gillard’s seemingly extempore speech unfolded. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Natasha Stott Despoja) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/where-are-the-healers-in-this-fractured-parliament/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/where-are-the-healers-in-this-fractured-parliament/#item9730 Mon, 15 Oct 2012 19:45:22 +0000 Natasha Stott Despoja | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillard-reshuffles-the-deck-chairs-without-conscience/ Prime Minister Gillard’s reshuffle tops off her year of living dangerously. She went out on a limb with carbon pricing, pokie reform, plain tobacco packaging and increased superannuation in spite of spirited opposition and has won the battle, if not hearts and minds, on most of them. Poker machine reform is outstanding and continues to bite the ALP hard, especially in the eastern states and in communities dependent on local pubs and clubs. Ms Gillard’s decision to sacrifice the Speaker role is her way of gearing up for the pokies fight by mitigating the influence of Andrew Wilkie. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Natasha Stott Despoja) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillard-reshuffles-the-deck-chairs-without-conscience/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillard-reshuffles-the-deck-chairs-without-conscience/#item7357 Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:00:44 +0000 Natasha Stott Despoja | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dust-off-your-cucumber-sandwiches-its-time-for-a-republic/ It wasn’t hard to get into the pageantry and fun of the royal nuptials. We even made cupcakes with crowns for our token wedding celebration. Our westie mates turned up, resplendent in top hats, medals, even a wedding dress. Food was anything English: Yorkshire pudding, trifle, cucumber sandwiches and a steak and kidney pie. My husband rejoiced in his English connections, while I quoted our Constitution which grants the monarch certain governing powers, even above other governing levels. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Natasha Stott Despoja) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dust-off-your-cucumber-sandwiches-its-time-for-a-republic/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dust-off-your-cucumber-sandwiches-its-time-for-a-republic/#item5744 Mon, 02 May 2011 19:40:08 +0000 Natasha Stott Despoja | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-belated-qualified-victory-for-working-mothers/ One positive feature of the dying days of the Howard Government was the cross party work among female MPs. Sisters were doing it for ourselves - uniting on issues ranging from stem cell research to the removal of the restrictions on RU486; from changing the foreign aid funding criteria to seeking to ensure transparent advertising of pregnancy counselling. We co-sponsored bills and held meetings, did the numbers and organised media.It was a rare but enjoyable and mostly successful example of networking among women of different parties, all driven by a commitment to issues affecting women. However, we were unable to attract overt cross-party support on the issue of Paid Maternity Leave (PML). feedback@thepunch.com.au (Natasha Stott Despoja) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-belated-qualified-victory-for-working-mothers/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-belated-qualified-victory-for-working-mothers/#item98 Tue, 12 May 2009 11:18:04 +0000 Natasha Stott Despoja | Author bios | The Punch