Which rockstar turned activist was elected to the Australian parliament in 2004?

Answer 1

Even before I started to research this question, I knew it was Peter Garrett, lead singer for Midnight Oil...my favourite Aussie Band.

Peter Garrett, MP, AM (born 16 April 1953), Australian musician and politician, has been an Australian Labor Party member of the House of Representatives for the seat of Kingsford Smith, New South Wales, since October 2004.

He became lead singer of the successful Australian rock band Midnight Oil in 1973. As well as its great musical and commercial success, the band became well known for its commitment to environmentalist and left-wing causes, and was particularly critical of policies of the United States during the 1980s.

Garrett was one of the founders of the Nuclear Disarmament Party and stood for a seat in the Australian Senate in New South Wales at the December 1984 federal election. He needed 12.5% of the vote to win a seat in the Senate voting system, but received just over 9% of the vote.

Garrett served as president of the Australian Conservation Foundation from 1989 to 1993 and 1998 to 2004. He also joined the International Board of Greenpeace in 1993 for a two-year term. He served as adviser and patron to various cultural and community organisations including Jubilee Debt Relief, and was a founding member of the Surfrider Foundation.

Midnight Oil had a history of making political statements through their music and performances. For example, at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, the group performed before Prime Minister John Howard and a television audience of hundreds of millions, wearing black tracksuits bearing the word "sorry." This referred to the Howard Government's refusal to apologise to Aboriginal Australians for the former policy of removing of Aboriginal children from their families (see Stolen Generation).

In 2000 Garrett was awarded the Australian Humanitarian Foundation Award in the Environment category and in 2001 he received an honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of New South Wales. He left Midnight Oil in 2002 to concentrate on his environmental and social activism. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2003.

In June 2005 Garrett was appointed Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Reconciliation and the Arts

Answer 2

Peter Garrett - Midnight Oil

Answer 3

I agree with george g. Peter Garret has been involved with politics and an activist for as long as i can remember. He was an environmental lawyer before he was a rockstar.

Answer 4

The guy from midnight Oil. Think his name is Peter Garrett.

Answer 5

of course this mob of Jerks are in no way going to ought to calm all the way down to the intense business enterprise of working a us of a. NO!!! i don't even think of that they're going to get a duster in the Senate - not to show a seat. Cheers!!!

Answer 6

Steve Irwin?