Midnight Oil's Peter Garrett touted as Australian parliamentary candidate

[Violet_Crumble]

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - Peter Garrett, the lead singer of the disbanded Australian rock group Midnight Oil, may run for Parliament on the opposition Labour party's ticket in a move that party leaders hope could win them crucial support from environmentalists.

Newspapers Monday gave front page coverage to the prospect of longtime political activist Garrett becoming the highest-profile candidate for a Labour stronghold district in Sydney. Garrett, 51, could not be contacted for comment Monday.

Labour leaders have welcomed the possibility of Garrett joining their team and bringing with him crucial environment-focused voters.

"My view is that Peter Garrett would make a fantastic parliamentarian," Labour leader Mark Latham told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio. "He's dynamic, he's bright, he's an inspiring person."

<snip>

However, local Labour party members have said they would prefer a local candidate rather than a high-profile outsider like Garrett.

http://www3.cjad.com/content/cp_article.asp?id=/global_feeds/canadianpress/entertainmentnews/e060704A.htm

[bemildred]

1. Sounds like a good thing.

What is your take, Violet?
Should we be sympathetic to the "local party memebers"?

[Violet_Crumble]

2. I'm not all that sympathetic to them...

..but part of my lack of sympathy comes from being a huge Oils fan (they were even better live than Pearl Jam!), plus with my dislike of the way some of the idiots act at the local branch level of the party. One of them was whining that Peter Garrett, being a celebrity and all, wouldn't even know the price of a loaf of bread. No mention at all of his track record as an activist and nearly getting into the Senate with the Nuclear Disarmament Party ages ago...

But I agreed with what Bob Brown (he's leader of the Greens) said on the news tonight, which was that if Peter Garrett wants to make a difference, he's not going to do it with either of the major parties. Me, I personally think he'd be more at home with the Greens or even the Democrats...

Violet...

[bemildred]

3. Thanks. nt

[Djinn]

4. Me too

I'm a big fan of Garrett's (both politically and musically - though p'raps not of his dance style!) and I would HATE to see him join the ALP.

The CFMEU's and Tas ALP support of logging means that the Fed ALP will not be taking action against it anytime soon and there need to constantly be seen as "centre" :puke: means they are pretty nuetered on other environmental issues as well.

I can't see Garrett being able to make that much of an impact as just another ALP MP, and think he better serves the green movement in his current role.

[Violet_Crumble]

5. Yep, I hate that he's joined the ALP...

I cringed when I saw him announcing he was now a member. I was really hoping he'd turn them down...

Did you see the advice John Schumann gave him in the Age? Especially this bit:

"I imagine you chose to align yourself with the ALP because they promised you a spot on the front bench and you think you will be able to make a difference. The NSW ALP Right delivers more than pizzas and there's no doubt that they will deliver on their promise. But what about making a difference? If you think the unions will stand by quietly while you work to save the Tarkine, the Styx and the Huon and Picton valleys, for instance, you'd better give me a call. Remember, the ALP voted in the Senate, with the Howard Government, to exclude Australia's forests from the protection of the 1999 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. As Rob wrote once: Short memory - must have a short memory."

Mate, you must have a short memory

Look what I found when I was over at the ABC site. Video of Midnight Oil doing Armistace Day, Power and the Passion, and Short Memory...

Watch Peter Garrett do the Headless Chicken Dance


Violet...

[dudeness]

6. go peter go.. you good thing..

I am pleased peter has joined the ALP..so what if a few R/W powerbrokers in NSW have the poops..i don't care..lets beat howard..btw the oils played at the ANU (where peter studied..I was a student also) and by god they rocked..this was before record releases..fame and fortune...best band live I have ever seen..

[Violet_Crumble]

7. Howard's scared of him...

There's been so much energy exerted yesterday on trying to dig up crap to throw at him, like the electoral roll thing. Anyway, what I think is that Howard can be beaten without Peter Garrett having to join the ALP and compromise his values. Maybe he will pull some folk who are considering voting for the Greens (I'm one of them) back to the ALP, but there's an equal chance they'll see him as a sell-out and be more determined not to vote ALP this time round. I was really disappointed this morning to read that he'd changed his tune about Pine Gap. I've got to admit I got a bit of a warm fuzzy feeling at the possibility of him becoming PM one day, but if that were to happen, it'd be a completely different Peter Garrett than the one I've admired for so long. I just hope he hasn't made a huge mistake, that's all...

I saw so many great bands at the Uni Bar when I was younger. Now that I'm older, more boring, and a student at the ANU, I avoid the uni like the plague when I don't have to be there...

Violet...

[Djinn]

8. Did you smile at the Prime Miniatures

claim that Beds Are Burning was his favourite Oils number? somehow when he was scaring Australians into thinking their backyards were under threat from native title legislation I don't think these lines were playing in his mind...

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

what's the bet it's the only Midnight Oil song his born conservative PR flunky could come up with!