http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/nick-champion/ Nick was elected to the federal seat of Wakefield in 2007. He is a former president of the ALP (SA) and holds a BA and GradDip in Communications. Before entering Parliament he was an occupational health and safety officer, training officer and organiser for the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association. He also worked as a sport and recreation policy advisor to State Labor Minister Michael Wright. 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/marriages-of-convenience-make-rancid-politics/ In 1965 the smash hit Broadway musical The Odd Couple debuted to rave reviews. The musical chronicled the lives of two completely different men, Oscar Madison and Felix Ungar, as they shared the same New York house.  Fast forward to 2011 and Federal Parliament is witnessing its own version of the Odd Couple; Bob Brown and Tony Abbott metaphorically sharing the same Canberra house. They may not be living together and sharing the housework but they are teaming up to form a grand alliance to oppose Government legislation. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Nick Champion) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/marriages-of-convenience-make-rancid-politics/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/marriages-of-convenience-make-rancid-politics/#item6722 Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:35:44 +0000 Nick Champion | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Abbott-isnt-boxing-clever/ In his life before politics Tony Abbott was something of an amateur boxer. So it’s fitting that as opposition leader he has chosen just to punch on and attack the Government. The normal necessities required of an Opposition Leader – to be occasionally positive, to be temperate in tone, to formulate policy and to back claims with facts seem to be of little interest to Mr Abbott. Not a day goes by without some photo opportunity of Abbott and a fish, or box of Weet-Bix or some awkward embrace with factory workers. Abbott calls for an election every day as if to will one on the country and acts as if he’s in the middle of an election campaign. Despite all the evidence to the contrary he believes that the Parliament should dissolve itself and yield to his immediate self interest. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Nick Champion) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Abbott-isnt-boxing-clever/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Abbott-isnt-boxing-clever/#item5926 Thu, 26 May 2011 19:45:05 +0000 Nick Champion | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/abbotts-direct-action-plan-con-job/ Any proposed tax will initially concern people. Markets and the prospect of competition often scare people. Sacrifice is always attractive and acceptable in the abstract and gets less appealing once defined. These are hurdles that any reform government must face, but reason and logic eventually prevail. Global warming is an existential threat that the world must face up to. All nations can find an excuse to delay citing the alleged lack of action by others. Delay and denial are arguments that go hand in hand. Eventually the scientists will be proved right, and you won’t be able to find those who preach denial with such conviction. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Nick Champion) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/abbotts-direct-action-plan-con-job/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/abbotts-direct-action-plan-con-job/#item5465 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 19:40:36 +0000 Nick Champion | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/twin-revolutions-to-help-troubled-suburbs/ Hidden away in most capital cities around Australia there are troubled suburbs which suffer the afflictions of social and economic breakdown. These communities are often populated by a majority of good hearted battlers living alongside a minority of ratbags. These hidden communities are often absent from our national debate partly because the communities lack advocacy skills and partly because the problems seem so intractable. Often the only time these troubled suburbs are noticed is when the harsh glare of the media descends upon them in response to some criminal incident or to catalogue their social dysfunction. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Nick Champion) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/twin-revolutions-to-help-troubled-suburbs/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/twin-revolutions-to-help-troubled-suburbs/#item2647 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:50:49 +0000 Nick Champion | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/workchoices-architect-needs-some-real-life-experience/ When I read Jamie Briggs’ most recent contribution to The Punch on industrial relations I wasn’t in the least bit surprised. It was a predictable salvo in the hundred year war on industrial relations in this country. This war is the battle line between the two major political parties, driving the partisanship and iron discipline of our respective parties. Labor has always believed that a fair go should apply, that workers need protection and that everybody deserves dignity at work. This belief is not driven by theories or politics but by more practical issues – of making sure a worker can live off their wages, that they have job security if they do a good job and that there’s an umpire to ensure fairness. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Nick Champion) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/workchoices-architect-needs-some-real-life-experience/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/workchoices-architect-needs-some-real-life-experience/#item2481 Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:40:42 +0000 Nick Champion | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/climate-changes-sceptics-a-threat-to-national-security/ Climate scepticism is all the rage these days and it’s become very fashionable to doubt the scientists and suspect global fraud. The sceptics will denounce mainstream opinion for attempting to supposedly silence them, all the while loudly denouncing their opponents on talkback radio, the internet and mainstream press. They criticise minor errors in massive reports and loudly attack sloppy emails, but they play fast and loose with the facts themselves. Sceptics are rarely accountable for their statements on temperature, on climate or carbon dioxide levels, preferring instead to rely on unsophisticated arguments like ‘it’s crap’. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Nick Champion) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/climate-changes-sceptics-a-threat-to-national-security/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/climate-changes-sceptics-a-threat-to-national-security/#item2279 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 03:48:57 +0000 Nick Champion | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/labor-should-finish-job-keating-started-on-super/ In 1992 Paul Keating’s leadership motivated me to join the Labor Party. Keating provided the labour movement with the leadership, vision and fighting spirit needed to combat the regressive Fightback package. Keating won the election, and Labor celebrated a great win against neo- liberalism. What followed was a period of government where Keating’s great intellect and vision was pitted against his arrogance, exhaustion and electoral indifference. This was a difficult and frustrating period for many Labor supporters and I remember periods of despair at our performance. After 1996 the whole labour movement shied away from defending Keating, his Government and his politics due to the collective scars caused by his defeat. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Nick Champion) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/labor-should-finish-job-keating-started-on-super/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/labor-should-finish-job-keating-started-on-super/#item2176 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:40:00 +0000 Nick Champion | Author bios | The Punch