Should Peter Garrett Be Sacked?

[Matilda]

I'll state my bias first - I think Garrett is sincere in his environmental beliefs, but he made a huge mistake when
he stood for election as an ALP candidate, where he would always have to put the Party's interests first. And we
know that Labor is nothing if not pragmatic when it comes to its own survival.

Having said that, the home insulation programme was the first truly big task Garrett has been handed, since he's
been effectively sidelined by Penny Wong in the issue of climate change. And he has undoubtedly stuffed up, although
I'd guess that Rudd's desire to roll out his stimulus programmes as quickly as possible was a contributing factor
to the errors that were made, and Garrett was not powerful enough to say to Rudd that they should hold off a bit
to make sure that everything was well organised before the programme started.

Now he's making a bad situation worse by announcing that 160,000 homes deemed to be at possible risk will have their
insulation inspected - by the companies that put them in. Hello? This is stupid beyond belief, and he's handing the
Opposition yet another stick to beat him with.

Never mind the waffle spouted by Barnaby Joyce on anything and everything - he doesn't matter, because the Coalition
isn't going to win government this time around. But having Garrett standing up in Parliament day after day under
attack by bovver boy Abbott isn't a good look for the government. I truly think Rudd should cut his losses now and
throw Garrett overboard, because in this kind of situation, the government is always more vulnerable to attack than
the Opposition.

Any thoughts?

[canetoad]

1. Garrett's been a disaster

since he joined the ALP. He should have stuck to rock and grew old gracefully like Keith Richards.

[Esra Star]

2. I am biased when it comes to politics......

I tend to give extra points to the ones who actually do something. Garrett is not a seat warmer.
It is all a bit embarrassing but I think Kev is enjoying giving Tony the middle finger.
If Peter is no good the Ruddster will let him go at a time of his own choosing.

[Matilda]

3. Garrett hasn't gone, but he has been demoted.

He is now the Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts. His main environmental responsibility
will be protection of natural resources.

Penny Wong has been named Minister for a new stand-alone department of Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water,
and Greg Combet will be her ministerial assistant for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, and will be directly
responsible for winding up the failed insulation programme.

It had to happen - I've watched Question Time every night this week, and Abbott has been relentless in his calls for
Peter Garrett's head. It's too damaging for the government to allow it to continue, because unlike Turnbull's
Utegate attacks, there is truth in what Abbott says, however inflated it has become.