http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/scott-ryan/ Scott Ryan is a Liberal Senator for Victoria. He was born in Brisbane and raised in Essendon. While a student, he sold Footy Records outside Windy Hill and worked at local supermarkets, finishing his studies at the University of Melbourne. Scott has worked as a tutor in Political Science at Melbourne University, in politics and in the health, insurance and pharmaceutical industries. He was also a Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs in Melbourne.He joined the Liberal Party in 1990 and was elected as a Liberal Senator for Victoria at the 2007 federal election. He is the youngest Liberal Senator ever elected from Victoria. He is married and lives in Melbourne. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +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/labor-takes-out-the-trash/ Spin doctors became infamous when, on September 11,  2001, during the horrific attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon, British Labour staffer Jo Moore send out an email encouraging her press office colleagues to release bad news stories, in the hope that they would not get any attention. “It is now a very good day to get out anything we want to bury” Moore wrote. While spin doctors are not always so craven, a government’s desire to avoid bad publicity is acute. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Scott Ryan) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/labor-takes-out-the-trash/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/labor-takes-out-the-trash/#item2281 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:40:14 +0000 Scott Ryan | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/menzies-the-most-important-election-win-in-our-history/ It is often said the Labor Party glorifies its history, even its notable failures – and that is the only explanation that can be given for the glorification of the Whitlam Government, given it was tossed out in the biggest landslide in Australian history after only three years. But one important anniversary in Australian politics has gone largely unnoticed. Last week was the 60th anniversary of the Robert Menzies-led Liberal Party defeating Ben Chifley’s Labor Government in 1949. The victory of the newly formed Liberal Party over the Chifley Labor Government led to 21 years of Liberal Coalition government. And it is no overstatement to claim that this was the single most important election in Australia during the twentieth century. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Scott Ryan) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/menzies-the-most-important-election-win-in-our-history/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/menzies-the-most-important-election-win-in-our-history/#item1984 Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:25:26 +0000 Scott Ryan | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/more-expensive-books-are-a-tragedy-for-us-all/ In identifying the most revolutionary discovery or invention in human history we are confronted with a bewildering choice: from fire and the wheel, through to electricity, nuclear fission and the silicon chip. But one stands out. Simple in conception and design, but revolutionary in its impact – the printing press. The Gutenberg bible, the first book printed with moveable type only 570 years ago, opened up the written word to all of humanity. It forced open the closed books of religion; it empowered discovery and research. Just imagine a world without books and literacy. We would have no internet. Our knowledge would be limited to that which had been passed on by friends or acquaintances, or by those in power – be they religious or secular. For this was the world before the printing press. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Scott Ryan) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/more-expensive-books-are-a-tragedy-for-us-all/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/more-expensive-books-are-a-tragedy-for-us-all/#item1718 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:18:35 +0000 Scott Ryan | Author bios | The Punch