The way I see it is that Peter went into politics not for the money or the fame (he needed neither) and the environment minister can hardly be seen as a position of power. So the compromises he has made means that either he is not very good as a politician or that the political system is a juggernaut that rolls on in its own direction regardless of what well intentioned people try and do.

The former would be a shame for Peter and the latter would be a shame for all of us because if Peter is good and the policies that get enacted are still bad despite his efforts then we're in bigger trouble than we thought.

Toby