Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few months you are probably aware that Gunns are planning to build a ruddy great pulp mill in the Tamar Valley in Tasmania. According to Gunns this mill will be super environmentally friendly and greatly improve the Tasmanian economy. According to the Wilderness Society it will destroy all life as we know it. The most interesting thing about it is that Peter Garrett supports it.
That’s right, Peter Garrett, committed environmental activist and Midnight Oil superstar, has announced that he supports a pulp mill being built in Tasmania with the express purpose of cutting down native forests and turning them into shiny paper. What the hell has happened to this guy? What a sell out fuck.
Looking at it objectively, of course he has to support it. He’s not an independent MP, he’s a shadow minister in the Labor party, so he has to toe the party line. The real question is why would the guy put himself in this position?
He was president of the Australia Conservation Foundation for ten years, ending his last stint in 2004. That same society has labeled the pulp mill “a tragedy for Tasmania’s forests and the marine environment of Bass Strait” .
How can someone turn their views around so quickly? Three years ago he was leading that organisation, and now his chosen position is diametrically opposed to it.
It saddens me to watch him give press conferences. He seems to squirm and wriggle and there is a distinct lack of passion in those eyes. You know that deep down he doesn’t agree with the things he is saying. We are used to the shallow-of-character scumbags of politics climbing over their own grandmothers to get ahead in the party game but it makes it so much more real to see someone you once respected do it.
This is Peter fucking Garrett for God’s sake. The man who stood up at the Olympic Games closing ceremony and embarrassed John Howard in front of the entire world with his secret ‘Sorry’ t-shirts. The ultimate anti-authoritarian warrior. Now he’s spouting phrases like this;
“Federal Labor has always supported a world class mill for Tasmania that achieves best practice environmental outcomes and reduces woodchip exports in favour of economically beneficial downstream value adding processing.”
Yes Peter, federal Labor has always supported this mill, but ten years ago you would have been chaining yourself to the bulldozers trying to stop it. Now you’re filling their tanks with petrol.
What is next for Mr Garrett? Reversing his stance on Aboriginal injustice when a Labor Government also refuse to apologise to the stolen generation? He’s already given his nod to the presence of US forces in Australia and he’s stated that he will accept the extension of uranium mining. Is he going to grow his hair back next?
As saddening as it is, I suppose it’s just the realisation of the prophecy that with age comes conservatism. But it’s not universal. There are some who retain their rebellious streak into the later years. Bob Brown, Noam Chomsky, Kurt Vonnegut. It’s not an inevitable slide.
It is just such a shame though. Why didn’t he join the Greens and run for a senate position with them? Just imagine the force him and Bob would have been.
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Got a short, got a short, got a short, got a short
They've got a short must have a short they've got a short aah
Short memory, they've got a sho-oo-rt memory.
Well, yes .... two generations of people dancing like electrocuted spastics will be devastated by this new. Consider that maybe he's just discovered a little pragmatism.
As a politician he can't let the Tasmanian economy implode (where an environmental idealist would have no problem with starving voters because they're not free-fall vegans), his idealism can't let industrialists wipe out the environment by clear felling and wood chipping the forests (which BTW: is already happening) or a traditional "poison everything" pulp mill.
What he could do is make darn sure the pulp plant is as green as possible and that there is some value add for the local economy. In addition, pulp mills have a bit of a problem moving so there will likely also be a large component of plantation timbers in the short to mid term future ...... so maybe, just maybe, he's not a complete sell out, just realising that there are many ways to attack a problem and chaining yourself to it / headbutting it may not be optimal.
Sure, he could be a Matyr and scream NO! ... NO! ... NO! and He'd never get into a position of power where he COULD do something.
Matyrs are visually spectacular but a week after they're gone most people will be hard preseed to remember why they used a can of greenhouse gas emitting petrol and self-imolated in the first place.
Don't write him off till he's got a portfolio and can re-show his true colours after the election.
As someone who has a very tangential connection to the world of Peter, I can answer the question about 'why didn't he join the Greens?' Apparently, he wanted to join a party where he could 'make a difference' and 'have some power'. Shame that the difference has come in his views and not in the environment around him, and that the power is being exerted on him, not by him. The other members of the Oils apparently think he should have stuck with the politcally-charged music. I am inclined to agree. Godknows we need some politcal tunes in this apathetic day and age.
as with all issues in life, star wars has the answer. its like Darth Vader and the emperor...
who eventually killed that emperor dude, huh? who smote him real good? a lil orphan kid called Darth Vader - and u think he would've EVER been in a position to kill the emperor if he had never risen thru the dark ranks and become a Lord of the Sith? fark no! he would still be souping up space ships on the desert planet while emperor fuckface wreaked his havoc a million miles away.
but Vader sold out early on, got in good with the bad guys and then when the time was right FUCKING BAM evil was punished.
keep your eye on Garret dude, coz he has a similar plan I reckon. or maybe not. hard to tell with all these pain killers i am on.
where was i? oh yeah... stay out of my booze!!!
Shoe:
Nice analysis of the situation. I agree that he will potentially be able to bring about much more change as a minister than screaming greenie, and that a compromise can be seen as small victory rather than morally perfect complete loss.
I guess it just shocked me that it seemed to happen so fast. That combined with the near silence that has come out of his office in the last few years.
Lets hope he is just biding his time until he is the actual environment minister (the person who is currently approvingly this deal). Then he will emerge and either turn the tide more towards his previous, albeit more moderate, environmental ideals or, as glancey awesomely speculates, destroys the capitalist empire from the inside and brings about a new green world order.
Nice inside scoop Tommy.
I would argue that, while never being in power, the Greens are still a force to be reckoned with with Bobbie in charge. And like I said I think the two of them would make quite a loud voice in Aussie politics.
At least then he would be able to speak more freely. He is completely gagged at the moment. Even if he makes it to minister he's still under the PM and will ultimately have to do as he is told.
Stay off the meds glancey... or maybe get back on them, I'm not sure which.
PS: Don't you reckon Ruddock is a dead ringer (pun intended, I swear that man is dead and is being carried around Canberra Weekend at Bernie's style) for the emperor in star wars?
It's those droopy soulless eyes and pasty skin, plus the way he shoots bolts of blue electricity at the ABC reporters in press conferences.
So, Mr Sam, how about your thoughts on the death penalty...?
I'm writing that one up right now.
Be patient or I'll execute you then bill your family for the Zyklon B.
Agreed. His soul does not seem to fetch much of a price, even if he gets into power - he's fucked. What shall he do then, back flip on the Mill? He'll look like the the moron he is being at the moment. Unless he embraces extremism or prehaps he's has a rampant case of split personality disorder.
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