http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/politics/ 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/politicians-cant-control-the-economy/ Hear their capes flap in the wind. Admire the spandex stretched over their taut bodies. Breathe and lose yourself to their pheromone feast. Suits won’t woo Western Sydney. As the election nears, our pudgy political class is turning into superheroes. They used to be lawyers, doctors, businessmen, academics, mindful of their every word, shoving paragraphs into sentences, knowing that they would be judged by the soundness of their logic. But now that they’re talking to simple voters, they do away with making sense, and focus on larger and bolder claims. Their side is responsible for all the good that has come to this country, while the other slashes jobs, racks up debt, drowns refugees. Forget the power the people have vested in them: to make laws, manage budgets, oversee the civil service. Super politicians can do so much more: conjure growth out of thin air, create jobs by the tens of thousands, breathe passion into our children’s teachers. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/politicians-cant-control-the-economy/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/politicians-cant-control-the-economy/#item10757 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 No wonder so many people scribble penises on their ballots instead of actually voting for someone. They’re too big - as big as tablecloths (just splattered with the taste of democracy). At the 2010 federal election, the NSW Senate ballot paper was just over a metre long. There were 84 candidates… but good luck finding them. The font size was just 8.5 point, much smaller than what you’re reading right now. Millions had to contend with the unwieldy papers at that election. But things should be easier at the September 14 vote. The Government has quietly dealt with the issue. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-outrageous-plot-to-scrap-our-ridiculous-ballot-papers/ No wonder so many people scribble penises on their ballots instead of actually voting for someone. They’re too big - as big as tablecloths (just splattered with the taste of democracy). At the 2010 federal election, the NSW Senate ballot paper was just over a metre long. There were 84 candidates… but good luck finding them. The font size was just 8.5 point, much smaller than what you’re reading right now. Millions had to contend with the unwieldy papers at that election. But things should be easier at the September 14 vote. The Government has quietly dealt with the issue. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-outrageous-plot-to-scrap-our-ridiculous-ballot-papers/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-outrageous-plot-to-scrap-our-ridiculous-ballot-papers/#item10753 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 No wonder so many people scribble penises on their ballots instead of actually voting for someone. They’re too big - as big as tablecloths (just splattered with the taste of democracy). At the 2010 federal election, the NSW Senate ballot paper was just over a metre long. There were 84 candidates… but good luck finding them. The font size was just 8.5 point, much smaller than what you’re reading right now. Millions had to contend with the unwieldy papers at that election. But things should be easier at the September 14 vote. The Government has quietly dealt with the issue. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/fighting-last-centurys-battles-while-voters-are-in-the-21st/ The Gillard government soon will have to decide if it is going to pick a policy fight with just about every news organisation in Australia as Labor limps towards the September 14 election. The issue is media regulation and proposals which would add a bureaucratic layer over existing watchdog mechanisms, and intrude on the capacity of companies to restructure and survive at a time of significant uncertainty and cost burdens. Cabinet hardliners determined to press these proposals should have noted the sighs of relief from sections of the ALP when Greens leader Christine Milne declared the party’s arrangement with the Government was over. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/fighting-last-centurys-battles-while-voters-are-in-the-21st/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/fighting-last-centurys-battles-while-voters-are-in-the-21st/#item10745 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 No wonder so many people scribble penises on their ballots instead of actually voting for someone. They’re too big - as big as tablecloths (just splattered with the taste of democracy). At the 2010 federal election, the NSW Senate ballot paper was just over a metre long. There were 84 candidates… but good luck finding them. The font size was just 8.5 point, much smaller than what you’re reading right now. Millions had to contend with the unwieldy papers at that election. But things should be easier at the September 14 vote. The Government has quietly dealt with the issue. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/abbotts-jokes-are-no-laughing-matter/ He’s a card, that Tony Abbott. If he’s not widely known for his sense of humour, he should be. He must surely have been joking yesterday morning, when he told journalists:“One thing you’ll never see from me is any attempt to divide Australians on the basis of…where they were born”. This form of humour is called irony - the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning. There was another apparent example of Abbott’s fondness for irony earlier in the week when he said: “I’ll tell you what we’ll never do.We won’t run around the place criticising foreigners.” feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/abbotts-jokes-are-no-laughing-matter/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/abbotts-jokes-are-no-laughing-matter/#item10742 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 No wonder so many people scribble penises on their ballots instead of actually voting for someone. They’re too big - as big as tablecloths (just splattered with the taste of democracy). At the 2010 federal election, the NSW Senate ballot paper was just over a metre long. There were 84 candidates… but good luck finding them. The font size was just 8.5 point, much smaller than what you’re reading right now. Millions had to contend with the unwieldy papers at that election. But things should be easier at the September 14 vote. The Government has quietly dealt with the issue. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/while-the-west-was-in-focus-the-south-was-crumbling/ The chaos in the Victorian Liberal Party is a setback for Tony Abbott’s quest to break Julia Gillard’s stranglehold on the state. Victoria is the weakest mainland state for the Sydney-based federal Opposition Leader who has mounted a concerted effort to build up his stocks. The turmoil caused by the shock resignation of Ted Baillieu six months before the federal poll is a distraction that means crucial time, energy and resources that were supposed to be entirely devoted to Abbott’s campaign will now be chewed up trying to sell new Premier Denis Napthine. “This is shambolic,” says a senior Liberal. But it could also be a surprise silver lining. It will depend how the state Liberals perform. Further turmoil will be more grim news for Abbott. But if Napthine can deliver the decisive and stable government he promises and the party unites behind him, it can help Abbott. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/while-the-west-was-in-focus-the-south-was-crumbling/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/while-the-west-was-in-focus-the-south-was-crumbling/#item10736 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 No wonder so many people scribble penises on their ballots instead of actually voting for someone. They’re too big - as big as tablecloths (just splattered with the taste of democracy). At the 2010 federal election, the NSW Senate ballot paper was just over a metre long. There were 84 candidates… but good luck finding them. The font size was just 8.5 point, much smaller than what you’re reading right now. Millions had to contend with the unwieldy papers at that election. But things should be easier at the September 14 vote. The Government has quietly dealt with the issue. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-west-wasnt-won-but-at-least-there-was-no-disaster/ Julia Gillard will return to Canberra at the weekend convinced her week in Sydney’s west was a roaring success. And so she should. The PM’s ventures are now measured by the absence of disaster rather than the appearance of achievement. The greatest criticism of her visit was that it was a stage-managed stunt. But the mere fact it didn’t descend into the shambolic epithet of her declining leadership was a significant accomplishment. And, to that end, it served the intended purpose. The PM may not have won the west, but this adventure was not only about the election in September - or the real needs of western Sydney’s 1.6 million residents. It was all about the next two weeks. It was all about Kevin Rudd. And it was about shoring up support in caucus. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-west-wasnt-won-but-at-least-there-was-no-disaster/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-west-wasnt-won-but-at-least-there-was-no-disaster/#item10733 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 No wonder so many people scribble penises on their ballots instead of actually voting for someone. They’re too big - as big as tablecloths (just splattered with the taste of democracy). At the 2010 federal election, the NSW Senate ballot paper was just over a metre long. There were 84 candidates… but good luck finding them. The font size was just 8.5 point, much smaller than what you’re reading right now. Millions had to contend with the unwieldy papers at that election. But things should be easier at the September 14 vote. The Government has quietly dealt with the issue. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-subtle-art-of-politicking-western-Sydney-style/ People who were not born in Australia will feature significantly in the lead-up to the September 14 election, and this means there are plenty of traps for two of them, Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott. The expeditions into western Sydney by the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader this week have been accompanied by mention of the wide ethnic spread in the local demographics. But there was a key difference in how the two handled the issue. “This is the most socially and ethnically diverse region in the nation, in a century when we must know the languages and cultures of our customers and competitors like never before,” the Prime Minister said on Sunday. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-subtle-art-of-politicking-western-Sydney-style/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-subtle-art-of-politicking-western-Sydney-style/#item10714 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 No wonder so many people scribble penises on their ballots instead of actually voting for someone. They’re too big - as big as tablecloths (just splattered with the taste of democracy). At the 2010 federal election, the NSW Senate ballot paper was just over a metre long. There were 84 candidates… but good luck finding them. The font size was just 8.5 point, much smaller than what you’re reading right now. Millions had to contend with the unwieldy papers at that election. But things should be easier at the September 14 vote. The Government has quietly dealt with the issue. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/theres-more-to-the-cost-of-living-race-than-flinging-money/ With the cost of living continuing to spiral out of control you have to ask who has the guts at the Federal level to tackle the issue. We all know that Julia is in Western Sydney this week, but we have to ask if she will feel the full impact of the cost of living pressure faced by families across western Sydney every day. Living in a hotel is a luxury that many western Sydney families simply can’t afford. And living in a hotel room means that Julia doesn’t have to experience the full pain that those in Western Sydney endure when they travel hundreds of kilometres each week traversing the traffic nightmare that Sydney has become. Julia won’t have to pay for the tolls out of her pocket when travelling on the motorways in western Sydney. And what about the electricity, water or gas bills and other household expenses which families in western Sydney and across Australia have to deal with? feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/theres-more-to-the-cost-of-living-race-than-flinging-money/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/theres-more-to-the-cost-of-living-race-than-flinging-money/#item10718 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 No wonder so many people scribble penises on their ballots instead of actually voting for someone. They’re too big - as big as tablecloths (just splattered with the taste of democracy). At the 2010 federal election, the NSW Senate ballot paper was just over a metre long. There were 84 candidates… but good luck finding them. The font size was just 8.5 point, much smaller than what you’re reading right now. Millions had to contend with the unwieldy papers at that election. But things should be easier at the September 14 vote. The Government has quietly dealt with the issue. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ten-political-promises-that-will-never-be-fulfilled-/ Just to save readers’ time in this year of endless and often meaningless election promises, here are 10 things you can skim over because they’ll probably never happen. 1. High-speed rail link between Sydney and Melbourne (or anywhere). 2. Second Sydney Airport (at least until the current one virtually stops). feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ten-political-promises-that-will-never-be-fulfilled-/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ten-political-promises-that-will-never-be-fulfilled-/#item10711 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 No wonder so many people scribble penises on their ballots instead of actually voting for someone. They’re too big - as big as tablecloths (just splattered with the taste of democracy). At the 2010 federal election, the NSW Senate ballot paper was just over a metre long. There were 84 candidates… but good luck finding them. The font size was just 8.5 point, much smaller than what you’re reading right now. Millions had to contend with the unwieldy papers at that election. But things should be easier at the September 14 vote. The Government has quietly dealt with the issue. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/toxic-attacks-on-science/ First there was pre-scientific thinking. In medieval times people believed a balance of humors – blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile – were essential to health. In the ancient East it was hit and miss yin and yang or acupuncture. Wars were fought, lives were lost, futures decided on the whims of Gods. People saw magic everywhere: in storms, in the stars. For some people, things haven’t changed all that much. They stillthink magically, still obey the Gods they invented. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/toxic-attacks-on-science/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/toxic-attacks-on-science/#item10709 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 No wonder so many people scribble penises on their ballots instead of actually voting for someone. They’re too big - as big as tablecloths (just splattered with the taste of democracy). At the 2010 federal election, the NSW Senate ballot paper was just over a metre long. There were 84 candidates… but good luck finding them. The font size was just 8.5 point, much smaller than what you’re reading right now. Millions had to contend with the unwieldy papers at that election. But things should be easier at the September 14 vote. The Government has quietly dealt with the issue.