Peter Garrett

Born on 16 April 1953, in Wahroonga, Sydney,[2] Garrett attended Gordon West Public School and then Barker College in Hornsby before studying politics at the Australian National University (ANU), where he was a resident at Burgmann College, and later law at the University of New South Wales. His father died while he was still at school. His mother died in a fire at the family home, during his period at university.[14][15][16][17]

In 1973, Garrett became the lead singer for the rock band Midnight Oil, after responding to an advertisement placed by one of the band's founding members, Rob Hirst. In tandem with their musical and commercial success, the band were strongly identified with environmental and Aboriginal rights causes. They were particularly critical of the military and foreign policy of the United States during the 1980s. On and off stage, Midnight Oil often made political statements. At the closing ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, the group performed before then-Prime Minister, John Howard, and a television audience of hundreds of millions, wearing black overalls bearing the word "sorry". This referred to the Howard Government's refusal to apologise to Aboriginal Australians for the former policy of removing Aboriginal children from their families.[18][19]

During his time with Midnight Oil, Garrett served two terms as President of the Australian Conservation Foundation (from 1989 to 1993 and 1998 to 2004. He was also invited to join the international board of Greenpeace in 1993 for a two-year term. He served as an adviser and patron to various cultural and community organisations, including Jubilee Debt Relief, and was a founding member of the Surfrider Foundation.[1][20] In 2000, Garrett was awarded the Australian Humanitarian Foundation Award in the environment category and in 2001 he received an honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of New South Wales. Garrett announced his departure from Midnight Oil in 2002, saying he wished to concentrate more fully on his environmental and social activism.[21][22]

Although no longer part of the band, Garrett performed several times with Midnight Oil in the following years. After the Asian tsunami on 26 December 2004, Garrett joined the other members of Midnight Oil to perform as part of the fund-raising event WaveAid. On 7 July 2007, Garrett presented Crowded House at the Australian leg of Live Earth. On 14 March 2009, Garrett performed live at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with Midnight Oil for Sound Relief, in order to raise money for the Victorian bushfire appeal.[23] In November 2012, Garrett and Paul Kelly inducted Yothu Yindi in the ARIA Hall of Fame and performed with the band their best-known song "Treaty".[24]

On 5 May 2016, after the conclusion of his career in Parliament, Garrett announced that Midnight Oil would be reforming and that they would be touring in 2017, including a trip to the United States.[25][26] Midnight Oil stated on their Facebook page: "We wanted you to be the first to know that the five of us are planning to do some gigs in Australia and overseas during 2017."[27] Days later, Garrett also announced his first solo album, A Version of Now, which was released on 15 July.[28][29][30]

Garrett's first attempt to enter the Australian Parliament came in December 1984, when the Nuclear Disarmament Party (NDP) invited him to stand for a New South Wales seat in the Australian Senate at the federal election. He refused at first, but after consulting his bandmates, he agreed on the condition that he head the ticket. He needed 12.5% of the statewide vote to win a seat in the Senate voting system, but a primary vote of 9.6% proved insufficient when Labor allocated its second preferences to the Democrats ahead of the NDP.[31]

After the conclusion of Garrett's term as President of the Australian Conservation Foundation ended, in June 2004 Labor Leader Mark Latham announced that Garrett would become an Australian Labor Party candidate for the House of Representatives at that year's federal election, in the safe New South Wales seat of Kingsford Smith which was being vacated by the former Cabinet Minister Laurie Brereton. There was some initial criticism from Labor members within the electorate, as the local branch had wished to select their own candidate; in the end, Garrett was comfortably elected for the seat in October 2004.[32] Six months after entering Parliament, Garrett was appointed Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Reconciliation and the Arts.[33]

Upon his entry to Parliament, it was reported that Garrett had modified some of his earlier views.[34] He expressed support for the U.S.-Australia alliance, and recanted earlier opposition to the Joint U.S.-Australian Defence Facility at Pine Gap.[35] He also stated that, while he would argue the case for environmentalism inside the Labor Party, he would observe the ultimate decision of the party caucus, including accepting any decision on the "no new uranium mines" policy.[36] Garrett's change of stance drew criticism from both journalists and Midnight Oil fans, who contrasted Garrett's former pronouncements on environmental and political issues he had made before joining the Labor Party.[37]

A Garrett poster at a polling booth, 2007.

While some in the media labelled him a "turncoat", some, such as Eureka Street and the Canberra Times columnist and ANU academic John Warhurst, defended his need to be a "team player" if he was going to succeed in the political game "from the inside".[34]

Garrett campaigned for Labor in the 2006 Victorian state election, causing some controversy when he sent a letter to voters in the seat of Melbourne, where Labor and the Greens were embroiled in a tight contest. In the letter Garrett urged voters not to vote for the Greens, claiming they were in alliance with the conservative Liberal Party. This incurred the ire of Greens Leader, and former Garrett ally, Bob Brown, who accused Garrett of having "sold out" and of going against the environmental movement since joining the Labor Party.[38]

In December 2006, Kevin Rudd appointed Garrett to his Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Climate Change, the Environment, Heritage and the Arts.[39] Garrett supported Rudd in that month's leadership spill, a decision he would later come to regret, saying years later that it was "certainly the biggest mistake" he made in his political career.[40]

During the 2007 election campaign, Garrett caused some controversy after the journalist Steve Price claimed that Garrett had said to him Labor would change their policies if put in power. This was disputed by Garrett as a "short jocular conversation".[41] Garrett was comfortably re-elected for Kingsford Smith in the election, with a 4.56% swing towards him.[42]

Garrett is married and has three daughters.[14][73] Garrett is the uncle of former Nickelodeon Australia and former SourceFed personality Maude Garrett.

Garrett's grandfather, Tom Vernon Garrett, was one of many prisoners of war who died in the sinking of the SS Montevideo Maru. That sinking is considered the worst maritime disaster in Australia's history. He refers to this event in the opening line of the Earth and Sun and Moon track "In the Valley".

In 2007 the artist Michael Mucci entered a portrait of Garrett in the Archibald Prize.[74]

Garrett supports the Essendon Bombers in the Australian Football League.[75]

• A Version of Now (2016)

• First Rudd Ministry
• First Gillard Ministry
• Second Gillard Ministry

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Peter Garrett.

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Peter Garrett

• Garrett's maiden speech in the House of Representatives
• Peter Garrett's personal webpage
• Search or browse Hansard for Peter Garrett at OpenAustralia.org