There’s been a lot of talk recently about ministerial responsibility. But there is a minister in Australia whose idea of ministerial responsibility is so slack that it’s extraordinary he still holds his job.
Peter Garrett
Follow Crikey’s latest coverage of rocker-cum-politician Peter Garrett. Crikey’s Peter Garrett coverage includes independent news, blogs and commentary.
Rudd dons the hair-shirt
It’s been a busy few days of self-flagellation for PM Kevin Rudd, from the demotion of Peter Garrett to his appearance yesterday on Insiders, where he acknowledged serious government mistakes. What risks does his mea-culpa carry?
Garrett loses insulation et al to Rudd’s Mr Fixit
Peter Garrett got the boot from the home insulation program so that Kevin Rudd’s Mr Fix It a.k.a Greg Combet could take over. Can Combet clean up in the same way he did with the CPRS?
Grattan: Relax, Rudd our knight in shining armour is here
Kevin Rudd is riding in to save the day and give off a clear message of power by calming the Peter Garrett roofing insulation scandal, writes Michelle Grattan.
Place your election bets
Another Friday, another sweep around the betting markets for the looming Federal Election. For all the noise over Garrett, the average increase in the probability of a Coalition victory over the last week was less than 1%, writes Possum Comitatus.
Abbott’s charge falters
Despite their best attempts, the Opposition couldn’t breach the Government’s desperate defence of Peter Garrett this week.
Garrett’s a nice guy, but that doesn’t make him innocent
Yes, it is fiction that ministers can know every little detail about their department, but if Peter Garrett can’t declare that they did everything possible to limit risks then he should resign, writes Simon Longstaff.
Garrett’s real bat problem: flying foxes set to extend the headache
Pink batts aren’t the only bats that will be preying on environment minister Peter Garrett’s mind at the moment. A problem looms for the embattled minister in the form of flying foxes, writes Nick Edards.
Political snippets: Richard Farmer’s chunky bits
The rot has stopped. The new Premier of NSW Kristina Keneally might be a long way from steering her party to a win at the next state election but she has at least stopped the rot. The Newspoll accumulation of data from its past two months of national polls shows a modest, and probably significant, […]
The Media Monitors' Top 20: Garrett gets the coverage but he ain’t no Tiger
A large amount of prognosticating from all of the political commentators about whether Peter Garrett should go, whether he would go and ultimately whose responsibility it is.
Why Tony Abbott needs to shut up
This constant slandering of Peter Garrett is counter-productive. Tony Abbott’s Opposition thrives on opposing everything the government says simply to gain the political upper hand, and therefore loses its own authority.
Van Onselen: Ministerial responsibility never means having to lose your job
No matter how slow, corrupt or inept, federal ministers never resign over failures in their departments. Ministers lose their jobs over politics, not ministerial responsibility, writes Peter Van Onselen.
Farr: Abbott dents the Rudd armour
The insulation scheme was a rush job, placing economic aims over environmental ones. For this, Kevin Rudd is responsible, but he doesn’t seem regretful, writes Malcolm Farr.
Grattan: Rudd is also responsible
Peter Garrett may be bearing the heat of the roofing insulation scandal, but Kevin Rudd is no innocent bystander, argues Michelle Grattan. Rudd and his bureaucrats should have picked this up long ago.
Opposition fails to pin Garrett
The Coalition’s pursuit of Peter Garrett has faded in only the second Question Time this week, with the Minister untroubled by sustained Opposition questioning this afternoon.
The problems are bigger than
Garrett
The problems of the insulation program won’t go away. They’re what happens when we try to re-engineer our energy consumption with limited capacity, and they will keep happening.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Peter Garrett and the “responsibility” paradox
Crikey readers weigh in on Garrettgate, Mary Mackillop and the changes to Sydney transport.
Garrett is soiled but solid
Peter Garrett’s fate has nothing to do with the merits of his case and everything to do with how long he deprives the Government of clear air in its task of attacking Tony Abbott.
Holy departmental memo, it’s Batt-man
After a tense day yesterday, it seems that Peter Garrett’s ministerial life will live to see another day. But with 160,000 houses to be safety checked and jobs being lost, the heat isn’t off the Batt-man yet.
Abbott is lying on Work Choices
The latest Essential Report dishes the dirt on Work Choices, with 57% seeing a return likely of at least some aspects if Tony Abbott gets the top job. Interestingly, 50% don’t believe Abbott when he says Work Choices is dead. Possum Comitatus has the numbers.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Garrettgate revives private vs. public debate
Crikey readers weigh in the Peter Garrett/insulation scandal, the cult of scientology, and the climate change debate continues.
Political snippets: No one is responsible now
We have come to a new point in Australian politics today. Ministerial responsibility is gone and a new system of no one is responsible for mistakes has replaced it. Plus, Tony Abbott making ground and a warning about housing affordability.
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours: the work from home SA senator
Does Garrett’s solar panels installations scheme apply by the same regulations as the rebate scheme implemented by the Howard government?
Who’s gonna save him?
With news that Garrett only saw a damning risk assessment of the roofing insulation scheme 10 days ago — despite it being sent 10 months ago — is this the final tipping point for Garrett?
