Peter Garrett

Opposition (2004–2007)

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;^[34] in the end, Garrett was comfortably elected for the seat in October 2004. In 2015, Garrett alleged in his autobiography and an ABC documentary that he had been handed an envelope containing "hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars" in cash by a representative of Clubs NSW at a function following the 2004 election. He subsequently retracted his allegations and stated that the envelope in fact contained a cheque, which he returned, and also that the incident "took place before he was elected, which would mean the possible offence of bribery or attempted bribery of a public official would not apply".^[35] Clubs NSW subsequently sued the ABC for defamation, but withdrew the suit in 2016 following a court ruling on discovery that would have granted the ABC access to the organisation's financial records.^[36]

Six months after entering parliament, Garrett was appointed Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Reconciliation and the Arts.^[37] It was reported that he had modified some of his earlier views.^[38] He expressed support for the U.S.-Australia alliance, and recanted earlier opposition to the Joint U.S.-Australian Defence Facility at Pine Gap.^[39] 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.^[40] 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.^[41]

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".^[38]

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.^[42]

In December 2006, Kevin Rudd appointed Garrett to his Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Climate Change, the Environment, Heritage and the Arts.^[43] 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.^[44]

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".^[45] Garrett was comfortably re-elected for Kingsford Smith in the election, with a 4.56% swing towards him.^[46]

Environment Minister (2007–2010)

After Labor's victory in the 2007 election, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd appointed Garrett as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts in the Cabinet, although responsibility for climate change was separated from the portfolio and handed to Senator Penny Wong.^[47][45] Although Garrett requested to represent the Government on climate change within the House of Representatives, Rudd instead gave that responsibility to Treasurer Wayne Swan.^[48]

In his first acts in the role, Garrett approved a controversial plan to dredge Melbourne's Port Phillip Bay.^[49] This move attracted strong criticism from some environmental groups, who were concerned that the 23 million cubic metres of sand, rock and contaminated silt dredged from the bay's shipping channels would affect fishing and tourism in the area.^[50][51] Garrett also refused federal funding that would have enabled a remount of Elke Neidhardt's acclaimed Adelaide production of Der Ring des Nibelungen in 2008.^[52][53][54]

As Environment Minister, Garrett was responsible for implementing the Government's whaling conservation policy, which included the cessation of commercial and "scientific" whaling.^[55] Japan's annual trips to the Southern Ocean to kill whales in the name of science was most controversial issue, with the Australian Government attempting to negotiate a cessation of "scientific" whaling at the annual meetings of the International Whaling Commission. These negotiations were unsuccessful, culminating in Australia taking Japan to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Although the case was concluded after Garrett had left politics, the ICJ eventually announced its judgement, based on his application, that Japan must stop whaling in the Southern Ocean.^[56]

In August 2008, Garrett approved a major expansion of South Australia's Beverley uranium mine, saying the mine would demonstrate global best practice for environmental protection.^[57] Garrett's decision was praised by the uranium industry, but criticised by the Australian Conservation Foundation, the organisation Garrett previously led, which said the decision would result in the mine spreading acid and radioactive pollution over 100 square kilometres (39 sq mi).^[58] Later that year, Garrett announced the withdrawing of all A$2.6 million funding from the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM).^[59]

In 2009, Garrett chose not to give the proposed A$2 billion Tamar Valley mill approval until more studies were undertaken on its potential impact on marine environments. A new condition was put on the mill, meaning Gunns could be liable for criminal and civil penalties if the mill was approved and broke defined "environmental limits".^[60] That same year saw Garrett also rejected proposals to impound the Mary River through the construction of the Traveston Crossing Dam. Garrett determined that the impacts of the proposed dam on the threatened species of Australian lungfish, the Mary River Turtle and the Mary River cod would be too great and of national environmental significance.^[61]

In a 2010 reshuffle of his Cabinet, Rudd demoted Garrett to the outer ministry in response to Garrett's administration of the Home Insulation Program (HIP), which was linked to four deaths, over 100 house fires and allegations of fraud.^[62][63][64] It was subsequently revealed in May 2010 that Garrett had written to Rudd on four occasions raising concerns about safety.^[65] Following the leadership spill in June 2010, which saw Rudd replaced by Julia Gillard, Garrett's colleague Gary Gray revealed most MPs believed Garrett was demoted because "...Rudd had a shocking interview on The 7.30 Report and needed a scapegoat". Gray stated:^[66]

The majority of caucus felt he had been badly treated. For Rudd and his office to position Garrett as the fall guy was disgraceful, weak, sneaky, unprincipled and just plain wrong. All along, Peter properly put his objections to the administration of the program on the record. How can you have a situation where Rudd executes complete and total influence, micromanages everything, yet not the home insulation program? The shape and execution of the program was certainly designed by the prime minister's office, if not the prime minister himself.

Education Minister (2010–2013)

Garrett initially retained the portfolio of Environment Minister in the First Gillard Ministry, and was re-elected at the 2010 election, albeit with a substantially reduced majority, suffering a two-party preferred negative swing against him of 8.1%.^[67] After the election, Gillard promoted him back to the full Cabinet as Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth.^[68][69]

In September 2011, Garrett announced an alteration of the National School Chaplaincy Program by offering schools the opportunity to employ, instead of "a religious support worker" (chaplain), a "secular student well-being officer".^[70][71][72] In February 2012, Garrett, alongside Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin, announced an expansion of the Improving School Enrollment and Attendance through Welfare Reform Measure (SEAM), a program through which parents of indigenous students in the Northern Territory can have their Centrelink payments suspended for three months if their children are not attending or enrolled in school. Though the Government claimed that the program improved indigenous school attendance, it was heavily criticised by some indigenous spokespeople and academics for being excessively punitive rather than implementing other policies that may have been far more effective in improving school attendance.

In 2013, Garrett pledged to increase funding to public schools as recommended in the Gonski Report, in order to reduce inequality in educational performance.^[73] In a 2014 book review, Garrett stated that he was concerned at the growth of private schools, which could lead to "an increasingly segregated school system". He noted that the National School Chaplaincy Program needed to change their guidelines because "the line between chaplains acting to support students in the provision of general pastoral care and proselytising was too easily crossed".^[74][75]

Garrett supported Gillard in both 2013 leadership spills. After the June spill, where Rudd defeated Gillard, Garrett immediately announced his resignation as Education Minister, and the following day declared that he would not seek re-election at the 2013 election, ending his career in Parliament after nine years.^[10][76]

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