Former Midnight Oil Rocker Named Australia’s Environment Minister
· Band used music to highlight green issues
For 25 years Peter Garrett was the frontman of Midnight Oil, an Australian rock band known for its raucously loud music and protest songs about social and environmental issues. Then the bald 6ft 6in singer hung up his microphone, disbanded the group and exchanged his rock star clothes for the sombre suits of a politician.
After a meteoric rise through the ranks of Australia’s Labor party, he was yesterday named environment minister in the newly elected government. The 54-year-old said he was “excited and humbled” by the opportunity.
However, his gaffes during the election have robbed him of the chance to take over the entire environment portfolio. Another minister has been given responsibility for the issues surrounding climate change, including negotiating a new post-Kyoto deal and establishing a carbon emissions trading scheme for Australia.
Garrett founded Midnight Oil when he was a law student in 1973 and made a first and unsuccessful foray into politics as a member of the Nuclear Disarmament party in 1984.
Passionate about the injustices meted out to Australia’s indigenous population, he and the other band members had a worldwide hit in 1987 with the track Beds are Burning, a protest song about Aboriginal land rights in Australia.
The band also used music to register its anger about environmental issues, performing at the Jabiluka uranium mine in remote Arnhem Land and staging an impromptu concert outside Exxon’s New York headquarters in 1990 with a banner that read: “Midnight Oil Makes You Dance, Exxon Oil Makes Us Sick.”
Alongside his singing career, Garrett also served as head of the Australian Conservation Foundation and sat on the international board of Greenpeace.
He disbanded Midnight Oil in 2002 to concentrate on politics and was elected to parliament two years later. An opposition spokesman on the arts and Aboriginal affairs, he was promoted last year to both the environment and climate change portfolio, attacking the then-prime minister John Howard’s policies.
He has not had an easy ride, with colleagues in the conservation movement accusing him of selling out after he softened his public stance on issues such as uranium mining and old-growth logging, including supporting the construction of a controversial giant pulp mill in the Tamar Valley in Tasmania, bringing his views into line with Labor.
In July, he was at the centre of controversy when Daniel Johns, lead singer of the Australian band Silverchair, claimed in a radio interview that he and his wife Natalie Imbruglia, Garrett and U2 singer Bono smoked dope together at a house in Sydney. The media deluged the office of the rock star turned politician with inquiries about the incident and Johns quickly retracted the story, saying that it had been a “stupid joke”.
Garrett’s spokesperson said that the incident did not take place.
The self-avowed Christian and father of three daughters had a high-profile role at the beginning of the recent election campaign.
Later, though, he shied away from the media after two blunders when he appeared unsure about the issues surrounding the Kyoto Protocol and when he reportedly told a radio talkshow host off the record that Labor would change some of its campaign promises once elected.
Garrett’s minor portfolio, which also includes heritage and the arts, is being seen as a rebuke for those mistakes. However, the prime minister-elect, Kevin Rudd, has said the decision to split the environment portfolio between two ministers reflected the increased importance of issues such as global warming and renewable energy.
Another colourful Australian politician was promoted yesterday when former defence minister Brendan Nelson was elected leader of the Liberal party, replacing outgoing prime minister Howard.
The 49-year-old, who has been married three times, used to sport a diamond earring and is known for strumming guitar hits from The Animals after late-night parliamentary sessions. He was once a member of the Labor party but changed his affiliation.
Backstory
The band was originally known as Farm when it was formed in 1973 but changed its name to Midnight Oil and collected a cult following of fans devoted to its semi punk rock sound.
It disbanded in 2002 but reformed three years later in a one-off event to play alongside other bands at Wave Aid, to raise money for the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster. In his maiden speech to parliament, Peter Garrett thanked the members of the band whom he described as “a bunch of students who set off to conquer the local pubs and then the world, with a handful of songs about Oz and a dream to have a go at making a living out of music that was not seen as commercial or likely to succeed”. Albums include: Red Sails in the Sunset; 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1; Diesel and Dust; Blue Sky Mining and Redneck Wonderland. The documentary video Black Fella White Fella (1987) about the band’s tour of indigenous communities with the Warumpi Band, which inspired the writing of the album Diesel and Dust, remains hugely popular in Australia. The Warumpi Band was formed in 1980 in Papunya, in the Northern Territory, by Neil Murray and they built up a loyal following in Sydney.
© Guardian News and Media Limited 2007
AWESOME!
The time has come
To say fair’s fair
To pay the rent
To pay our share
The time has come
A fact’s a fact
It belongs to them
Let’s give it back
How can we dance when our earth is turning
How do we sleep while our beds are burning
How can we dance when our earth is turning
How do we sleep while our beds are burning
Just an excerpt from “Beds Are Burning”. This is the one song by Midnight Oil that I remember. It seems to reference the relationship of Aussies who emigrated from the UK with the indigenous Aussies. Or maybe it has some other meaning. Interesting.
Hopefully he will be able to make something really positive out of his tenure as Environment Minister. It seems that Aussies are way way way ahead of us on the urgency of these issues.
Bewdy!
I’ve seen Garrett in concert, and he looks scary. Hopefully he will frighten a lot of the leaders into action rather than sitting on their duff.
So what if he smoked? He probably didn’t inhale. Why should this even be an election issue?
Yeah, sure.
…and Bono snd Sting are salesman for the new kinder, gentler globocapitalism;
…and Billy Bragg likes the Queen and the House of Winsor.
…And Neil Young sung songs supporting the run-up to Bush’s war or Terror(TM)
I would have thought that in Australia, one could admit to having smoked dope without trouble. Who in the anglo or western world over the age of 40 hasn’t?
PJD has a point–as Lord Acton once observed “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. So will our newest anti-establishment punker be corrupted or merely marginalized by power?
Austrailia is an interesting case. What with the drought and its proximity to the melting Anarctica there just might be the climate (joke–get it?) needed for change. If nothing else, Peter Garrett could get the makings of a great “tell all” book about the eextraordinary manipulation that those who are sincerely interested in challenging global warming and other environmental issues are exposed to by “the powers that be”.
American musician Jon Hall who co-founded Orleans is a congressman from New York and was elected on a stauchly anti-war and pro-environment agenda over a long-term incumbent back in 06 (and doesn’t that seem so long ago at this point in time?),
Inspiring, for sure. Garret has been writing and singing passionate, right-on lyrics on environmental/social themes for many, many years. His changeover from rock star to politics and being Enviro minister seems to me to be a logical progression. (BTW - I think Midnight Oil’s best stuff actually predates “Diesel & Dust”; dunno about now, but for many years, their earlier music was hard to get, and were only available as import albums. Their first 5 albums are amazing & remain to this day amongst my all time favourites).
How do we sleep when our beds are burning?
Now I’m dreaming. Kucinich is president, and Tracy Chapman is named Environment Czar.
Yes, but… Garrett sticks out like a sore thumb in a Labor Party not awash with Green credentials. The “gaffes” were a sign of this as much as anything. Just as the conservatives were beholden to the big coal and timber companies (among others), so Labor is strongly influenced by the union that looks after coal and timber workers. Hence Labor’s support of the “clean coal” nonsense, and the pulp mill and the continued destruction of forests, and, gawd help us, uranium mining. I don’t know how Garrett has managed to swallow his pride and support all this. On the other hand I see the splitting of environment and climate change portfolios (both, stunningly, Cabinet posts) as a positive sign. Giving Penny Wong, a rising star, climate change is a sign of treating the issue seriously. For more on all this see http://www.blognow.com.au/mrpickwick.
I havent heard much of Tracy Chapman’s newer stuff, but wouldn’t she be better suited for Secritary of Health and Human Services?
and let’s see,
Bruce Cockburn would be Secretary of State.
Utah Phillips would be Secretary of Labor.
Willie Nelson for Secretary of Agriculture.
Steve Earle for Secetary of Defense
Kanye West gets a law degree and becomes Attorney General
Any suggestions for the EPA chief?
You’re right about Tracy. But Cockburn is Canadian. Secretary of State could be Jackson Browne. He’s the only one who seemed to notice our imperialist wars in Central America in the 80s. EPA chief could be the member of Los Lobos who wrote Will the Wolf Survive.
Cool! Now how about Redford, Penn, Oprah, Willie, Robbins, Sarandon, Harrelson, Glover, Young, Gore and other progressive celebs stepping up and running? Repugs had Reagan, Thompson and Schwartzenegger and we’ve had none. Celebrity sells and we need it now more than ever. Any dumb Repug knows that.
So he now denies having smoked dope. I reckon that is most implausible. I think Garret has is learning that one has to lie in order to be a politician.
“But Cockburn is Canadian…”
Oh, so that’s how he was able to write “If I had a Rocket Launcher” without the FBI taking him away…
Awesome — we need this up here. Charismatic personalities in music, the arts, sports, etc. come out and step up to the plate.
It never ceases to amaze me how age and fear can have such a profound effect on some people, as the genes begin to send the brain signals of completion. So many folks at this point make profound changes to their lives and actually regress back to the conservative fundamentals taught to them as children by parents and the system. Garrett is no exception- he became a fundamentalist Christian of the wacko American type- sold out- and joined the common political enemy the Australian Labor Party who has a long year history of ultra conservatism and heinous crimes against Australia’s indigenous peoples and the environment. Of course all this makes a mockery of Garret’s so called championing of rights and the environment when he was lead singer in Midnight Oil! Already like ones typical opportunistic politician he’s turned his coat on his former views that Australia should not expand its exports of Uranium! Typical eh???
Indeed said the wise man, “Many will come bit few will be chosen.”
www.nambassa.co.nz
http://www.nambassa.blogspot.com/
Peter Terry
Cool! I love Midnight Oil!
MrPickwick writes:
“On the other hand I see the splitting of environment and climate change portfolios (both, stunningly, Cabinet posts) as a positive sign. Giving Penny Wong, a rising star, climate change is a sign of treating the issue seriously.”
And I agree with his implied positive assessment of Penny Wong. I think: This is a serious person to be listened to closely. Watch this lady.
And nambas (above): hold off for a little while on your final negative judgment (condemnation?) of Peter Garrett. I know where you’re coming from, but IMO Peter’s not done yet, not by a long shot. (And remember, the goal is to make things as much BETTER as possible. Perfection is probably just beyond reach.)
I didn’t know about the right-wing Christian fundie thing, though. And I see that his Wikipedia entry says he deliberately campaigned against the Greens. Could be that Aussie Labour is like British Labour? Granted, I’m on the other side of the Atlantic, but Blair didn’t strike me as a beacon of populist philosophy (if labour isn’t populist, it is nothing).
May well be that selling out is the only way to GET elected today.
Dear readers,
Peter Garrett was ACF legend distinctly AGAINST Uranium exploration, enrichment and waste dumping.
Since he joined the Labor party he agreed to all of Labor’s Uranium mining, enrichment, and waste disaposal policies - which amounts to turning the coat 180 degrees over, and screwing Aboriginal land !!!
He won’t be there in 6 months time - believe me,
“long live dead empire - click and be clicked”
In another life I toured with Midnight Oil, with my own band and had a blast supporting them and their environmental message. Fabulous bunch of guys and great musicianship, with kick ass songs that really say something worth saying.
It’s great to see Peter Garrett succeed in carrying forward the message after such a great set up from his career.
And btw he is every bit as intimidating in person as you think. But a man who is passionate about what he believes in. Can’t say I’m that thrilled about his right-wing leanings, which are news to me, but still I think he’s got a couple of great portfolios there to play with adn that can complement each other very well. I will definitely be watching this development and am thrilled to see that Australia’s new PM made his first act signing Kyoto! Great to see a politician actually doing what s/he says s/he’ll do for a change. Kyoto might not be the best thing, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction. Now if you guys in the US could just get a real president and a proper democratic government free of corporatocracy maybe we could turn this damned messy world around and get some problems resolved and this sillivization moving in a sound direction that assures survival and ecological recovery.
Of course, you better turn that war machine off first. Damned things too bloody expensive for sustainable living.