The biggest joke of Garrett’s political career is his renouncing of his rabid political views in order to achieve a pay cheque from the ALP. It seems we’ve had to sit through his crocodile tears for the indigenous with his infantile rock band protest at the Sydney Olympics, while real Olympians such as Cathy Freeman sat on the track crying tears of joy. His elevation to the post of Minister for the Environment based on not much more than the lyrics his drummer penned twenty years ago is even more suspect.
Now we have him overseeing a real world situation, that of installing insulation, and what do we get? Exactly what you’d expect from a rock band singer. Nothing, not even tears of regret.
It’s a long way to the top, and then you fall, and fall Garrett must. There isn’t another chorus when peoples lives are at stake, when people have died due to programmes you’ve instituted.
3 responses so far ↓
Rosie // February 23, 2010 at 8:29 am |
What I don’t get about the whole Peter Garrett as a politician thing – did anyone REALLY believe that when he joined the Labour Party, he was going to be anything other than a lame duck?
Sell your soul to the Devil, you gotta dance to his tune. And he gets to choose the dance too………
Jaime // February 24, 2010 at 12:01 am |
I’m devastated about the path PG has taken. I had such high hopes for him and thought of him as perhaps making some changes from the inside of the Labor party.
The whole insulation debacle is a massive beat up, I’m sick of hearing about it.
gigdiary // February 24, 2010 at 9:34 pm |
I had high hopes for him too, even being a Liberal voter. He’s a rock muso, just like me, only famous and more successful. He’s also a law graduate. I had huge hopes for him. I also had huge hopes for that Liberal bloke, Turnbull, business man extraordinaire.
As a novice in the political arena I saw these two as taking politics beyond the dry and boring to something relatable. Little did I realise that politics, like music, like any other discipline, is a finely honed instrument. For all his rough edges, Tony Abbott is a skilled facilitator of the relevant issues. Bob Hawke was a rough diamond, but nevertheless, a shrewd manipulator of the political landscape. Gogh Whitlam was probably our most masterful statesman of all time. I doubt we’ll see another like him in my lifetime.
Unlike music, politics doesn’t revolve around a charismatic personality. Gumption and tenacity more than play their part. Howard is proof of that.
However, I can’t believe that a man who can generate millions in business, ie Turnbull, or a man who can galvanise a generation, Garrett, can’t learn the precepts to a successful political career.
On either side of the political spectrum, I see both of them making an impact in the future.
I think Garrett has to do some homework though, perhaps remember his bandleading days on the road. While Midnight Oil may have been a party, politics is certainly not going to be a picnic.