Environment Minister Tony Burke has announced that he had no intention of using his emergency powers to include the Tarkine on the National Heritage List, write Deb Wilkinson and Andrew Macintosh from ANU.
Peter Garrett
Follow Crikey’s latest coverage of rocker-cum-politician Peter Garrett. Crikey’s Peter Garrett coverage includes independent news, blogs and commentary.
Daily Proposition: Daily Proposition: run for the covers
Old blokes playing covers has led the odd brush with fame.
Political snippets: Boat people sympathy seems to be winning
Perhaps I mix in the wrong circles but I have not yet noticed any surge in anti-boat people feeling.
How to fix the systemic corrosion of the public service
We should return to the pre-1984 situation in which department secretaries have unambiguous responsibility for “the department and all the business thereof”, writes Paul Barratt, a former secretary to the departments of Defence and Primary Industries and Energy.
‘Window dresser’ Garrett a pain in the arts …
For someone who was once a working artist, on the whole Peter Garrett has been missing from every aspect of what is an enormous portfolio, writes a Sydney arts insider.
Four Corners: we stand by our story
Wendy Carlisle, of the ABC’s Four Corners responds to Crikey’s Bernard Keane. Facts weren’t cherry picked and ignored in the “Lethal Miscalculation” story.
What did Four Corners know and when did they know it?
In April the ABC broadcast a strong attack on the Government’s insulation program on 4 Corners. But why was a key document omitted?
Who’s gonna save me? The Oils are gone, and the oil spill won’t stop
Twenty years ago Midnight Oil sang out to Exxon Oil executives in New York City. With the latest oil spill not stopping, who’s going to save us now, asks < Stuart Nettle?
Art dealers slam ‘meaningless bureaucratic bullshit’ for indigenous industry
From the managers of the remote art centres to the big-city galleries that deal in the fine-art end of the Aboriginal art market, all are still saying that the Resale Royalty scheme will prove to be a financial disaster.
Our lame, uncool leaders
The US gets sexy, smooth Barack Obama, Australia gets nerdy, dad joke loving Rudd. We’re lacking in political cool and not even a bonafide rock star for a MP can make up for it, says Kane Loxley.
Peter Garrett is exonerated, nobody cares
A detailed report on the insulation saga shows what went wrong — and, incidentally, just how badly wrong the media was in savaging Peter Garrett.
Farrelly: Garrett sold his soul for nothing
Peter Garrett was the heroic rock star, the environmental warrior. Now he launches the tourism master plan for the Kakadu National Park. When did Garrett become the hapless travelling salesman flogging Brand Australia? asks Elizabeth Farrelly.
Crikey Says: Ah, Malcolm, we hardly knew ye
“Egomaniac. Flawed. Fuck up. Icon.” Ah Malcolm, from regular winner of Sexiest Politician to 2009 Person of the Year, we did enjoy you.
Berg: Politicians make crap managers
The government is the biggest business in Australia, but we’ve got politicians, not business people running it. Managing people and money is not the same as a desperate thirst to be PM, writes Chris Berg.
Foil insulation: a lot less scandalous than you may have heard
The media narrative that the Government’s foil insulation scheme was a total disaster is a massive oversimplification — one which ignores history and mathematics, says Rodney Tiffen.
Central Coast in a spin over rumours Obama will sink their battleship
The sinking of the HMAS Adelaide has the local Central Coast community in a spin: local media is in conflict, the State Government is pushing hard, Peter Garrett faces another difficult decision — and the US President might even show up.
Davidson: Leave Garrett alone!
Kenneth Davidson defends the embattled Peter Garrett over the insulation saga: the scheme was flawed, but the construction industry has the second highest level of fatalities of any industry.
Whistleblower tells of chaos and conufusion behind insulation saga
Glenn Milne has an email from a Deptarment of Environment whistleblower, who claims the pink batts program was just a power struggle between Peter Garrett and Mark Arbib, focused more on PR than good policy.
Golden Choc-Tops: Readers’ Choice Awards
What gets your goat when you’re at the cinema? Which movie should really win the Oscar? Are choc-tops the best cinema snack? Crikey readers have their say about the year in film.
Crikey Says: Who’s going to fly the dare-to-be-different flag?
They are high-profile, intelligent, ambitious, thoughtful and popular. And now Malcolm Turnbull and Peter Garrett — parliament’s two superstar outsiders of their generation — are political dead meat.
We must accept some of the ministerial responsiblity
It’s not fair to scapegoat ministers for programs which rely on community involvement. Peter Garrett shouldn’t take all the rap for the insulation mess, because the public failed too, writes John Warhurst.
Garrett’s demotion could give clean energy some clear air
The shift of ministerial responsibility for energy efficiency allows fresh thinking about the management of Australian climate solutions and low carbon development, writes John Connor.
Don’t spread Combet too thin on Defence
Minister Greg Combet is very competent but surely there are limits to even his talents, time and attention? asks the Australian Defence Association’s Neil James.
