Peter Garrett Media Man Australia

Peter Garrett

Photo credit: (Fairfax)

Peter Garrett AM
Former President Australian Conservation Foundation, activist, former member Australian group Midnight Oil, Labor Candidate for Kingsford Smith.

Peter Garrett is widely known as a passionate advocate and essayist on a range of contemporary Australian and global issues.

He was vocalist, co-lyricist and dynamic frontman for Midnight Oil for 26 groundbreaking years. The band was known for protest and benefit shows, notably at Jabiluka in the Northern Territory's Kakadu National Park, Sao Paulo Brazil, Clayquot in Canada, the anti Exxon Valdez performance on a truck top in the streets of New York, and of course the 'sorry suits performance' at the Sydney 2000 Olympics closing ceremony. Of Midnight Oil's 16 albums,"10-1", "Diesel and Dust", "Blue Sky Mining" and "Redneck Wonderland" were amongst the most provocative and successful, whilst songs like "Beds are Burning", "Power and the Passion" and "US Forces" have become FM radio standards.

Named by US Rolling Stone magazine as "One of the most significant bands ever to emerge from Australia". The 'Oils' were renowned for a fierce independent stance and active support of a range of contemporary concerns including the plight of homeless youth, indigenous people's rights and protection of the environment.

Peter served two terms as President of the Australian Conservation Foundation. From 1989 to 1993 significant results for many threatened areas of the Australian environment including Coronation Hill in Kakadu, Shoalwater Bay in Queensland, the Queensland Wet Tropics rainforest and Jervis Bay in NSW were achieved during this time.

In his second term the Australian Conservation Foundation grew strongly, developed partnerships with Non Government Organisations, progressive business groups, and expanded its campaigning into marine conservation and northern Australia.

He received the Australian Humanitarian Foundation Award in the Environment category in 2000 and in 2003 the Order of Australia (Member General Division), for his contribution to environment and the music industry.

Websites

Peter Garrett - Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts

Peter Garrett - Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts - media releases

Peter Garrett official website

Peter Garrett - Australian Labour Party

Peter Garrett - Wikipedia

Profiles

Press Release

19 March 2008

OECD REPORT SUPPORTS RUDD LABOR GOVERNMENT’S ACTION ON CLIMATE
CHANGE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

An independent report released today supports the Rudd Labor Government’s action on climate change and the environment after 11 years of Howard Government neglect.

Minister for the Environment, Peter Garrett, and Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, jointly received the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)’s Environmental Performance Review of Australia from Mr Lorents Lorentsen, head of the OECD Environment Directorate.

“The OECD has prepared a comprehensive report on environmental management in Australia,
covering national, state, territory and local government efforts over the last decade,” Mr Garrett
said.

“This independent report demonstrates that the effects of 11 years of Howard Government neglect of the environment required decisive action by the Rudd Labor Government.”

Mr Garrett said the Government had already pre-empted many of the report’s 45 recommendations with programs such as the new $2.25 billion program called Caring for our Country, announced last week.

“Caring for our County supports the recommendation that the capacity of regional natural resource management bodies should be expanded,” Mr Garrett said.

The program focuses on six national priorities to help restore the health of Australia’s environment and improve land management practices:

* the national reserve system;
* biodiversity and natural icons – including weed and feral animal control and threatened
* species;
* coastal environments and critical aquatic habitats;
* sustainable farm practices – including Landcare;
* natural resource management in remote and northern Australia; and
* community skills, knowledge and engagement.

Senator Wong said the Rudd Government had already moved on one of the report’s most significant recommendations: the need to introduce a national greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme.

“On Monday, I announced a detailed timetable for the introduction of emissions trading,” Senator Wong said.

“The first act of the Rudd Government was to ratify Kyoto and we are on track to meet our Kyoto target.

“And we have begun the process of restoring the River Murray by announcing $50 million this year for purchasing water for the environment.”

Conclusions and recommendations of the OECD report are available at:
www.environment.gov.au/commitments/oecd/publications/review2008.html

Media contacts:

Minister Garrett – Ben Pratt on (02) 6277 7640 or 0419 968 734

Senator Wong – Ilsa Colson on 0418 368 639

Articles

Japanese whaling a sham says Garrett

Japanese whaling is a sham says Environment Minister Peter Garrett, adding that Australia will today begin planning to launch both diplomatic and surveillance measures into ceasing Japanese whaling activities.

Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith and Environment Minister Peter Garrett today said Australia had launched further diplomatic representations to Japan, as well as plans for a raft of surveillance vessels to be deployed to the Southern Oceans.

It was reported on Monday that the Government was considering the use of a privately leased P&O vessel armed with two machine-guns and several high-resolution image and video devices.

Mr Smith said today that Australia had begun top-level inquiries into further representations against Japan in International courts, and would be deploying surveillance aircraft and ships to monitor Japanese activities.

"Our objective here is to persuade the Japanese Government to stop the slaughter of whales in the antarctic," Mr Smith said.

Environment Minister Peter Garrett said that whaling was a cruel and harsh practice, and that Australia was a nation who was prepared to stand against the Japanese despite the countries strong diplomatic and economic relationship.

"It's focussed on Japan because scientific whaling is a sham," Mr Garrett said. "There are non-lethal ways of continuing and developing research into whales, you dont have to harpoon them..."

The Government said that it had given prior warning to Japanese Diplomats over its plans to survey and monitor the culling of whales in the Southern Ocean, adding that Australia expected no diplomatic backlash as a result of the new measures.

Mr Smith said that the Oceanic Viking's defence capabilities would be stored, with the ship's machine guns to be located below deck during the surveillance operation.

The Foreign Minister stressed the new measures were for monitoring and surveillance only, and that Australia had no plans to launch Defence measures against the Japanese.

"I make the point it will be surveillance, and not enforcement... the customs [crew] will not be armed," the Foreign Minister said.

"Australia and Japan are friends, and we have a very productive relationship... the strength of the relationship between Australia and Japan is a strong one."

The Government will also send a Diplomatic envoy to continue its campaign against Japanese whaling, with further representations to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and a building of additional evidence to halt the whaling activities.

Japanese whalers will this year take nearly 1000 whales from Antarctic and Southern Oceans, with up to 50 Humpback whales also a part of Japanese cull.

Media Man Australia would like to make a public thank you to Peter Garrett for his interest in our business and 2006 European trip, and the opportunity to discuss this in person at the 2006 MTV Music Video Awards. Public congratulations to Peter Garrett on his stand against whaling