http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/australia/ 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 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +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/could-elephants-save-the-australian-environment/ Three years ago this week, Australia was burning. On 7 February 2009 — now known as Black Saturday — a massive firestorm consumed more than 400,000 hectares in southern Australia. At least 173 people died trying to outrun the fires, defend their homes or seek shelter. That blaze was unusually fierce, but fires are a constant source of anxiety for Australia. The continent is extremely fire-prone, with a distinctive signature of oscillating fire activity that begins in the north during the winter, then moves south during the summer. Lately, the fires have been more intense and widespread, perhaps as a result of climate change — last year, around 5 per cent of the continent was burnt. If only fires were Australia’s sole environmental concern. The continent is also overrun by invasive species. They fill holes created by a mass extinction event that occurred around 50,000 years ago during the Pleistocene, when the arrival of the first Australians coincided with a collapse in the continent’s megafauna, namely giant marsupials (some as large as hippopotamuses), reptiles and birds. piotrowskid@newsltd.com.au (Daniel Piotrowski) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/could-elephants-save-the-australian-environment/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/could-elephants-save-the-australian-environment/#item7660 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Our national day has become somewhat of a chance to navel gaze. To profoundly ponder who we were, who we are, and who we want to be. To pick apart the metaphysical fluff of our nationhood. For some it’s a day of nationalistic pride, of waving flags Made in China and trying to remember all the words to the national anthem.  For some it’s Invasion Day, the anniversary of the First Fleet’s arrival a matter for sorrow, not beer. Or it’s all about the cricket. But there’s a fair bunch of us for whom it’s a public holiday, a day to kick back in the sun, open a cold drink a little early,  and catch up with friends and family. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/fire-up-the-barbie-its-ostraya-day/ Our national day has become somewhat of a chance to navel gaze. To profoundly ponder who we were, who we are, and who we want to be. To pick apart the metaphysical fluff of our nationhood. For some it’s a day of nationalistic pride, of waving flags Made in China and trying to remember all the words to the national anthem.  For some it’s Invasion Day, the anniversary of the First Fleet’s arrival a matter for sorrow, not beer. Or it’s all about the cricket. But there’s a fair bunch of us for whom it’s a public holiday, a day to kick back in the sun, open a cold drink a little early,  and catch up with friends and family. piotrowskid@newsltd.com.au (Daniel Piotrowski) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/fire-up-the-barbie-its-ostraya-day/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/fire-up-the-barbie-its-ostraya-day/#item7609 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Our national day has become somewhat of a chance to navel gaze. To profoundly ponder who we were, who we are, and who we want to be. To pick apart the metaphysical fluff of our nationhood. For some it’s a day of nationalistic pride, of waving flags Made in China and trying to remember all the words to the national anthem.  For some it’s Invasion Day, the anniversary of the First Fleet’s arrival a matter for sorrow, not beer. Or it’s all about the cricket. But there’s a fair bunch of us for whom it’s a public holiday, a day to kick back in the sun, open a cold drink a little early,  and catch up with friends and family. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/we-need-a-strong-constitution-to-tackle-racism/ It will be a shameful day for Australia if it does not change its Constitution to both prohibit racial discrimination and recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The proposed changes are, individually, both worthy and overdue. But together they become complex enough to threaten the success of any referendum. The recommendations are to remove the “race power” section, prohibit racial discrimination, but allow positive discrimination “for the purpose of overcoming disadvantage, ameliorating the effects of past discrimination or protecting the cultures, languages or heritage of any group”, to recognise indigenous Australians in the Constitution itself (rather than in a preamble), and to acknowledge indigenous languages. piotrowskid@newsltd.com.au (Daniel Piotrowski) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/we-need-a-strong-constitution-to-tackle-racism/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/we-need-a-strong-constitution-to-tackle-racism/#item7572 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Our national day has become somewhat of a chance to navel gaze. To profoundly ponder who we were, who we are, and who we want to be. To pick apart the metaphysical fluff of our nationhood. For some it’s a day of nationalistic pride, of waving flags Made in China and trying to remember all the words to the national anthem.  For some it’s Invasion Day, the anniversary of the First Fleet’s arrival a matter for sorrow, not beer. Or it’s all about the cricket. But there’s a fair bunch of us for whom it’s a public holiday, a day to kick back in the sun, open a cold drink a little early,  and catch up with friends and family. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/is-it-unaustralian-to-barrack-for-the-other-team/ Norman Tebbit - a key confidante of Margaret Thatcher entirely ignored in the recent film The Iron Lady - is commonly remembered for two prescriptive statements. The first was that, instead of complaining or rioting, the unemployed should get on their bikes and look for work. The second article of Tebbitism is that immigrants should take a ‘cricket test’ of national loyalty and identity.  If you’re living in one country but decline to support it against your nation of origin in an international sporting contest, Tebbit implied, you have failed that test. Australia had its own less strict but more formal version of a cricket test in the sample question about Don Bradman in the original Australian citizenship test under the Howard government. piotrowskid@newsltd.com.au (Daniel Piotrowski) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/is-it-unaustralian-to-barrack-for-the-other-team/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/is-it-unaustralian-to-barrack-for-the-other-team/#item7518 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Our national day has become somewhat of a chance to navel gaze. To profoundly ponder who we were, who we are, and who we want to be. To pick apart the metaphysical fluff of our nationhood. For some it’s a day of nationalistic pride, of waving flags Made in China and trying to remember all the words to the national anthem.  For some it’s Invasion Day, the anniversary of the First Fleet’s arrival a matter for sorrow, not beer. Or it’s all about the cricket. But there’s a fair bunch of us for whom it’s a public holiday, a day to kick back in the sun, open a cold drink a little early,  and catch up with friends and family. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/using-deodorant-and-other-great-aussie-traditions/ A Coalition suggestion that migrants need deodorant classes is an outrageous, racist furphy. It’s an absolute myth that Poms are soapdodgers. Opposition citizenship spokeswoman Teresa Gambaro has suggested new immigrants should be taught about wearing deodorant and waiting patiently in queues. She wants employers to give mandatory “cultural awareness training” to immigrants arriving under visas such as the 457s. piotrowskid@newsltd.com.au (Daniel Piotrowski) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/using-deodorant-and-other-great-aussie-traditions/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/using-deodorant-and-other-great-aussie-traditions/#item7501 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Our national day has become somewhat of a chance to navel gaze. To profoundly ponder who we were, who we are, and who we want to be. To pick apart the metaphysical fluff of our nationhood. For some it’s a day of nationalistic pride, of waving flags Made in China and trying to remember all the words to the national anthem.  For some it’s Invasion Day, the anniversary of the First Fleet’s arrival a matter for sorrow, not beer. Or it’s all about the cricket. But there’s a fair bunch of us for whom it’s a public holiday, a day to kick back in the sun, open a cold drink a little early,  and catch up with friends and family. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/branding-anzac-day-ostraya-and-the-art-of-cringe/ So the Federal Government is planning to create some kind of Anzac Day brand or motif for the 2015 centenary of the Australian landing at Gallipoli. What a frightful thought. A cartoon wombat called “Digger”, perhaps, or two M&M-like mascots coined “Heads” and “Tails”? Here’s a goodie: how about a paunchy Aussie bloke with a broad Ostrayan twang and a stubby of VB (actually, make that Coopers now that Foster’s has gone offshore), urging us to celebrate Anzac Day with the catchcry “Just Dig It” or “Anzie, Anzie, Anzie, Oi Oi Oi”? piotrowskid@newsltd.com.au (Daniel Piotrowski) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/branding-anzac-day-ostraya-and-the-art-of-cringe/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/branding-anzac-day-ostraya-and-the-art-of-cringe/#item7490 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Our national day has become somewhat of a chance to navel gaze. To profoundly ponder who we were, who we are, and who we want to be. To pick apart the metaphysical fluff of our nationhood. For some it’s a day of nationalistic pride, of waving flags Made in China and trying to remember all the words to the national anthem.  For some it’s Invasion Day, the anniversary of the First Fleet’s arrival a matter for sorrow, not beer. Or it’s all about the cricket. But there’s a fair bunch of us for whom it’s a public holiday, a day to kick back in the sun, open a cold drink a little early,  and catch up with friends and family. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-drunkest-stupidest-greatest-city-in-the-world/ Every New Year’s Eve Sydney’s Lord Mayor takes over the city’s prime harbourside viewing area at the Opera House just so society’s self-serving elites can get their snouts in the trough, quaff free champagne and look down on the poor people below them. I know this because after years of trying I finally got an invitation. Last Saturday marked the first time I had ever managed to see the New Year’s Eve fireworks display up close without the water police involved. (This does not count the year that I thought I was watching the fireworks display but had actually just set the kitchen on fire.) piotrowskid@newsltd.com.au (Daniel Piotrowski) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-drunkest-stupidest-greatest-city-in-the-world/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-drunkest-stupidest-greatest-city-in-the-world/#item7489 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Our national day has become somewhat of a chance to navel gaze. To profoundly ponder who we were, who we are, and who we want to be. To pick apart the metaphysical fluff of our nationhood. For some it’s a day of nationalistic pride, of waving flags Made in China and trying to remember all the words to the national anthem.  For some it’s Invasion Day, the anniversary of the First Fleet’s arrival a matter for sorrow, not beer. Or it’s all about the cricket. But there’s a fair bunch of us for whom it’s a public holiday, a day to kick back in the sun, open a cold drink a little early,  and catch up with friends and family. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/new-york-i-love-you-but-christmas-here-is-a-let-down/ Bing Crosby – or maybe it was Bob Hope, or perhaps even Jimmy Stewart – on New York’s Fifth Avenue, stumbling in falling snow outside a department store, weighed down by big boxes of bow-wrapped Christmas presents. It’s an image imprinted in my mind, the quintessential picture of New York. But this year it didn’t snow in New York. And this year, Christmas didn’t come, except for those who celebrated it like members of a shameful secret society. I’d heard vaguely about this “War on Christmas” in America, where people don’t say “Merry Christmas” but instead say “Happy Holidays”. I didn’t really believe it, because so much of the culture and imagery of Christmas is American. piotrowskid@newsltd.com.au (Daniel Piotrowski) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/new-york-i-love-you-but-christmas-here-is-a-let-down/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/new-york-i-love-you-but-christmas-here-is-a-let-down/#item7458 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Our national day has become somewhat of a chance to navel gaze. To profoundly ponder who we were, who we are, and who we want to be. To pick apart the metaphysical fluff of our nationhood. For some it’s a day of nationalistic pride, of waving flags Made in China and trying to remember all the words to the national anthem.  For some it’s Invasion Day, the anniversary of the First Fleet’s arrival a matter for sorrow, not beer. Or it’s all about the cricket. But there’s a fair bunch of us for whom it’s a public holiday, a day to kick back in the sun, open a cold drink a little early,  and catch up with friends and family. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/go-on-a-holiday-to-the-middle-of-no-where-and-youll-die/ Over the next few months, countless Australians will be forced to listen to their friends and co-workers ponder holiday destinations. Many factors will be considered during this process - from the number of recognisable landmarks that can be used to create obnoxious Facebook profile pictures, to whether the guy will believe them when they say the scooter was already dented when they got it. Chief among these considerations, however, will be whether or not their chosen destination will be overrun with other human beings, who intend to use the same chunk of land for similar recreational purposes. It is this exact concern that drives so many over-confident Australians, particularly Queenslanders, to embark on ill-fated outback adventures every holiday season. piotrowskid@newsltd.com.au (Daniel Piotrowski) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/go-on-a-holiday-to-the-middle-of-no-where-and-youll-die/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/go-on-a-holiday-to-the-middle-of-no-where-and-youll-die/#item7377 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Our national day has become somewhat of a chance to navel gaze. To profoundly ponder who we were, who we are, and who we want to be. To pick apart the metaphysical fluff of our nationhood. For some it’s a day of nationalistic pride, of waving flags Made in China and trying to remember all the words to the national anthem.  For some it’s Invasion Day, the anniversary of the First Fleet’s arrival a matter for sorrow, not beer. Or it’s all about the cricket. But there’s a fair bunch of us for whom it’s a public holiday, a day to kick back in the sun, open a cold drink a little early,  and catch up with friends and family. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Dont-cry-for-me-australia-truth-is-Im-glad-I-left-you/ What’s Australia like? A sizeable question, but a young Argentine student who has returned home to Buenos Aires after a year in Australia has given his report: he was so lulled into contentment that he felt he had to leave. Carlos Miceli, 24, had planned to study in Australia for three years but pulled up stumps two years early. He expresses deep affection for the people and place but found a country with too many rules and too little to engage the socially or intellectually curious. His views, recently posted on his website, will cause some people to say: “Then don’t come back.” That would prove his point. piotrowskid@newsltd.com.au (Daniel Piotrowski) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Dont-cry-for-me-australia-truth-is-Im-glad-I-left-you/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Dont-cry-for-me-australia-truth-is-Im-glad-I-left-you/#item7303 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:13 +0000 Our national day has become somewhat of a chance to navel gaze. To profoundly ponder who we were, who we are, and who we want to be. To pick apart the metaphysical fluff of our nationhood. For some it’s a day of nationalistic pride, of waving flags Made in China and trying to remember all the words to the national anthem.  For some it’s Invasion Day, the anniversary of the First Fleet’s arrival a matter for sorrow, not beer. Or it’s all about the cricket. But there’s a fair bunch of us for whom it’s a public holiday, a day to kick back in the sun, open a cold drink a little early,  and catch up with friends and family.