Environmentalist Rock Star to Run for Australia’s Parliament
Peter Garrett, former lead singer of the band Midnight Oil and a longtime environmental activist, announced yesterday that he will run for a seat in the Australian parliament as a member of the opposition Labor Party. He’s almost sure to win, as the Sydney seat he’s vying for reliably goes to Labor candidates. The party is counting on him to attract young, eco-minded voters to Labor, which hopes to oust the ruling Liberal Party (which is, in fact, conservative) in an election expected to take place by October. Garrett has fought against coastal development, genetic engineering, and the nuclear industry, and has served as president of the Australian Conservation Foundation and as a member of Greenpeace’s international board. Liberal Prime Minister John Howard attacked Garrett yesterday, saying, “You don’t want extreme green attitudes because extreme green attitudes are anti-investment and anti-jobs.”
