Peter Garrett |
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Peter Robert Garrett AM MP (born 16 April 1953), is an Australian musician, environmentalist and politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the House of Representatives for the seat of Kingsford Smith, New South Wales, since October 2004. After the Labor Party won in the November 2007 election, Garrett was appointed Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. He was lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil from 1973 until its disbanding in 2002. He served as President of the Australian Conservation Foundation for a total of ten years, and in 2003 was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his contribution to the environment and music industry.
Born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Garrett attended Barker College in Hornsby, before studying Arts at the Australian National University and later Law at the University of New South Wales. About the same time he became a rock singer with the Australian rock band Midnight Oil in 1973, after responding to an advertisement placed by one of the band's founding members Rob Hirst. In tandem with its musical and commercial success, the band was long identified with environmentalist causes. It was particularly critical of United States military and foreign policies during the 1980s. He is known for his trademark "stiff and sudden" dance movements in performances.
Garrett was president of the Australian Conservation Foundation (1989–1993, 1998–2004). He 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.