BURNING A MIDNIGHT OIL

The Liberal Party’s researchers and librarians will be burning the midnight oil in the weeks and months ahead to find the best of a plethora of damning quotes out of the mouth of former Oils lead singer – and the Labor Party’s latest recruit -- Peter Garrett.

Garrett and new Labor leader Mark Latham held a press conference at Maroubra in the Kingsford Smith electorate today to announce Garrett’s new membership of the4 Labor Party. And to signal that the party heavies at HQ are about to parachute him in to the safe Labor seat to replace “Danger man” Laurie Brereton.

The rank and file, who thought all their loyal years of chook raffles and polling booth duty might be rewarded with a nod for Canberra, are “not happy, Jan.”

John Howard and Peter Costello and the Libs’ bovver boy, Tony Abbott, will be digging out the most damning Garrett comments and criticisms – the same way they trawled through all of Latham’s past utterances.

Things like Garrett, a former Anti-Nuclear Party near-Senator, demanding “Yankee Go Home” from the Pine Gap defence facility that has been supported by Liberal and Labor Governments for more than thirty years.

With Garrett’s trenchant anti-Americanism in his song lyrics and with Latham’s attacks on George W Bush and “bring the boys home for Christmas” this federal election is shaping up as a vote on whether or not this country is pro or anti America.

Prime Minister Howard has said (over our support for the US in Iraq) that the United States is the most important nation in the world to insure the long-term security of Australia.

And he says Australia will not “cut and run” from Iraq until its stance as a democratic sovereign nation has been assured. Something that was enhanced by the 15-0 Security Council vote in New York this week.

Garrett as already had a baptism of fire even before he gets the pre-selection nod.

Newspaper headlines – even before his first press conference alongside Latham – accused him of having not been on the federal electoral rolls for almost a decade. Accused him of not voting and not even casting a vote in the referendum for a republic.

Garrett had some convoluted explanation that he had been on a ‘ silent electoral roll” until his status had been “regularized” and he had voted – or thought he had – if he was in the country at election time. Obviously had never heard of an absentee ballot.

On that issue, I can’t be a hypocrite. I don’t vote. For several reasons. I believe compulsory voting is undemocratic. They don’t have it in Britain, America, Canada or New Zealand. You/ we are treated like children.

I also believe political commentators should not vote. Or if they do they should declare that vote.

On the bigger issue though with Garrett the Labor Party’s latest glamour recruit I have some niggling worries.

Could he turn out to be a bald version of Cheryl Kernot? And we all know what a spectacular trophy she was for the ALP.

Thursday, June 10, 2004

©Copyright Derryn Hinch 2004