Midnight Oil

Subject: PG's weekend
From: "Chris Frost" <chris.frost@risqgroup.com>
Date: 5/11/2007, 7:58 am
To:

Midnight Oil

For those outside of Oz, Peter Garrett had an embarrassing weekend:
 
http://www.smh.com.au/news/federal-election-2007-news/well-just-change-it-all/2007/11/02/1193619130682.html
 
'We'll just change it all'
November 2, 2007 - 4:45PM
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Opposition frontbencher Peter Garrett has been accused of saying that Labor will change its policies if it wins government at this month's election.

High-profile radio announcer Steve Price told his Sydney audience today that he had a conversation with Mr Garrett, Labor's environment spokesman, at Melbourne Airport this morning.

Mr Price said he introduced himself to Mr Garrett in the chairman's lounge at the Qantas Club as the former rock star was chatting to a television personality.

Mr Price did not name the television personality but said he was nationally known. Sky News reported it was Richard Wilkins.

"One of Kevin Rudd's senior frontbenchers, in an impromptu but nevertheless on-the-record discussion with me, face to face this morning, said that the 'me too' tag will not matter if Labor wins the election because, quote, 'once we get in we'll just change it all','' Mr Price told Southern Cross Broadcasting.

"The frontbencher is Peter Garrett.''

At a press conference this afternoon, Mr Garrett did not deny the conversation had taken place.

"On the basis of my short and jocular conversation with Steve Price this morning in a Melbourne Airport I can say that things will definitely change for the better if Australians elect a Rudd Labor Government," he said.

Mr Garrett said the things that would change, should Labor triumph in the election, were the abolition of WorkChoices, ratification of the Kyoto protocol, the introduction of high speed broadband and an education revolution.

Steve Price said he was so surprised by what he had heard that once Mr Garrett had left, he asked the television personality if he had heard correctly.

"And he said, 'sure did, he said it all right','' Mr Price said.

Treasurer Peter Costello said he was not surprised by Mr Garrett's comments.

The Opposition had clearly been employing a "political tactic" of copying the Government's policies just so it could get elected, he said.

"This is just an elaborate pretense that's going on," Mr Costello told Sky News.

"Once they get in they'll just change it all," he said.