For most Americans he’s remembered as the lead singer of Midnight Oil. However, he was always involved in politics, protesting, drawing attention to the native people’s rights and the environment. It dominated the band’s lyrics such as their only US hit “Beds are Burning.”
I thought he was finally on the verge of being elected by the way the recent Economist article read. Nope, he got the “safe” seat of Kingford Smith in 2004. Kingford Smith is somewhere in (or near) Sydney and includes Botany Bay which most of us Yanks know as Khan’s spaceship from Star Trek. Only kidding. It’s where the UK’s penal colony started, despite the wishes of the original inhabitants.
Now with Labor taking over, Peter will be moving from Shadow Minister of Climate Change, Environment, Heritage and the Arts to the Minister of it all. Phew! There’s a mouthful of a title. I always thought he was a member of the Green Party but realism, pragmatism and cynicism probably took over. My biggest concern will be Bush not being informed on who he is should there be a visit. Then Bush will tell the Secret Service to shoot Peter because he resembles Michael Berryman from the original The Hills Have Eyes.
His new position makes me smile a bit more now. When I got to meet him briefly in 1988, I asked for his autograph and while he obliged I added, “Are you going to run for parliament again?” (he was defeated in the mid Eighties yet did better than expected), Peter looked, smiled and replied, “Not today mate!” Maybe he can get together with John Hall of Orleans in New York to toast their new careers and avoid Sonny Bono’s fate.
Update Nov. 30, 2007: I read on the BBC that he will be the new Minister of the Environment. The other things on his plate have been delegated to other people in the new Labor Government of Prime Minister Rudd.