Rock star says Australian politics is more fun

CANBERRA, Dec 11 (Reuters) Former Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett started a new job promoting alternative environment policies for Australia today as the centre-left Labor Party uses his profile to try to end a decade of conservative rule.

In his past, Garrett the rock star played to packed stadiums from London to New York during 26 years with Midnight Oil, becoming an ardent opponent of the nuclear industry and advocate for the environment and Australia's aborigines.

But after two years in Australia's national parliament, Garrett has been promoted to Labor's spokesman on the environment and says politics is ''more fun'' than a rock tour.

''I really enjoyed my time on the road with the Oils,'' Garrett told Australian radio in the northern Queensland town of Bundaberg, where he was campaigning with Labor leader Kevin Rudd.

''To be able to spend some time out here in the community as a member of the Labor front bench ... with, I think, really good things to say to the people of Queensland, a tremendous privilege and a tremendous buzz.'' One of his famous stunts was playing a protest concert on a truck outside of the New York headquarters of global oil giant Exxon, and an anti-nuclear concert Jabiluka uranium mine in Australia's remote north.

PROMOTION WELCOMED Political analysts welcomed Garrett's promotion, saying his image should help Labor sell its environment policies to voters and help stem growing support for leftist Green candidates.

''He will give the issue even more profile, which should be good for Labor,'' political editor Michelle Grattan said in The Age newspaper today.

But Grattan warned that Garrett's long-term opposition to nuclear energy could pose a problem for Labor as the government pushes Australia's uranium exports and greater use of nuclear energy as a pragmatic solution to global warming.

The environment is shaping up as a major issue for the next Australian elections, due in the second half of 2007.

Labor has promised to sign the Kyoto Protocol, but Howard, a close ally of US President George W Bush, has steadfastly refused to ratify the agreement or set pollution caps which would then allow for domestic national carbon trading.

Opinion polls show voters want the government to do more to combat greenhouse emissions, with 79 per cent wanting Australia to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and eight out of 10 Howard supporters wanting more action on climate change.

High-profile Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said he had worked alongside Garrett for the environment for 30 years, but said he was unsure if Garrett would be able to make a difference to Labor policies.

''The Question will be whether Peter makes Labor greener, or Labor makes Peter less green,'' Brown said.

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