Garrett: Labor's environmental totem pole

Peter Garrett was originally recruited by Latham as the celebrity candidate to carry the disengaged into Labor'a arms. Curiously Latham, the long-time prime ministerial aspirant, disappeared like a magnesium flash, a momentary blinding light fading to nothingness. Garrett, the celebrity politician, considered to be the least suitable Labor recruit since Cheryl Kernot, is in government.

Much was made of Rudd splitting off climate change and water from Garrett's environment portfolio, interpreting it as a product of Garrett's gaffe-laden campaign. This completely misunderstands Garrett's role under Rudd Labor. Garrett's job is to be a human beacon for Labor's environmental credentials. In a word, he is Labor's environmental totem pole. He is well known both domestically and internationally as the long time head of the Australian Conservation Foundation. That role was an advocacy role, imploring government and community action on environmental matters...which is precisely what he does under his environment portfolio. Climate change and water require negotiation between a number of diverse stakeholders, something it appears the new minister Penny Wong is extremely good at.

Rudd is in the process of establishing education and environment as Labor's cornerstone issues upon which it basis its future vision for social health and economic prosperity. Gillard's mega-portfolio highlights the link between education, employment and the very workings of the nation. Garrett's role is to act as advocate for action on issues under his brief such as whaling and electricity austerity measures and give a symbolic presence when environmental matters cross over into other areas. Hence his presence standing by Stephen Smith as the foreign minister articulated the government's position on Japanese whaling. He was also present at Bali, frequently in the background while Penny Wong made statements.

The Garrett totem pole is a highly visible symbol of the Rudd Labor project. His environmentalist background gives clear expression to the core role environmental matters play in Labor. For Labor, the economy is seen through the environmental context, not the other way around. As a non-aligned candidate, he is a symbol of Rudd's breakdown of the faction system. He is also like Rudd a frequenter of Parliament's Christian fellowship. Despite the seeming awkwardness of his stance, both physically and on policy matters, Garrett is part of the unorthodox network Rudd has formed to renovate Labor for the new century.