Ready Or Not Here He Comes

By Andrew Tijs of Undercover

Ex-rocker Peter Garrett looks set for a front bench promotion in an Opposition reshuffle.
'The Australian' newspaper has reported that Opposition leader Kim Beazley will reshuffle his front bench after Christmas, dropping the old guard and adding newer members of the party to remain fresh and to quieten criticism of his leadership.

Sources say Beazley will promote former Midnight Oil frontman and now Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Reconciliation and the Arts to the front bench. It's reported that Garrett will most likely be given the "climate change" portfolio, which will require him to respond to the Howard Government on issues such as greenhouse gas emissions and water shortages.

This portfolio suits Garrett perfectly, considering his work as president of the Australian Conservation Foundation from 1989 to 1993 and again from 1998 to 2004. Garrett was also on the International Board of Greenpeace for two years and was awarded the Australian Humanitarian Foundation Award in the Environment category in 2000.

While these are specifically "green" credentials, the formerly outspoken singer has softened his militant politics to align more closely with the mainstream ideals of the ALP since he joined in 2004.

Can't Leave Without Srceaming At You.

The Mailman came today.

The 'Skin & Bones' Live DVD was recorded earlier this year in Los Angeles. Showcasing the songs from the second disc of their worldwide smash In You Honuor, as well as throwing in stripped-back, acoustic versions of some of their biggest hits.

Get The Fat Kids Running.

The Bill Hutchison Foundation was officially launched this morning by Chairman Ray Horsburgh and The Hon. Mal Brough MP, Federal Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

The Bill Hutchison Foundation (BHF), named in honour of the former seven-time Essendon best and fairest winner and dual Brownlow Medallist, is a registered harm prevention charity whose primary aim is to reduce the incidence of depression, substance abuse and obesity among the adolescent community.

The Minister spoke about the important contribution that charitable organisations such as the BHF can make in strengthening communities and encouraged those present to get behind the Foundation.

Minister Brough also acknowledged the Essendon Football Club and the work it is currently undertaking in the community in conjunction with the BHF.

In addition to Mr Brough, leading adolescent psychologist Dr Michael Carr Gregg addressed those in attendance about the benefits of building resilient adolescents and the role that the joint BHF / Essendon Football Club program 'On The Ball' plays in promoting this resilience by encouraging children to get involved in sport and stay involved.

Other dignitaries present included Essendon CEO & Managing Director Peter Jackson (who is also a BHF Board member), Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy, Jeanine Froome from Mercy Care and members of the Hutchison family, including Nel Hutchison Bill's wife.

For further information including how to make a donation to the foundation click here.

Rob Hirst's ARIA Induction speech

"Not so long ago we were the latest models on the showroom floor. Shiny and new, no rust, ready for the road, good for 500 gigs before needing a service. Of course, we needed a bit of polish.

By the mid-80's the car was left in the garage, while we toured Europe and North America in buses and flying machines. We played in some unlikely places: a bullring in France, an old U-Boat factory in Germany, a major traffic intersection in NYC. And we recorded albums on a farm in England and an office block in Tokyo.

But all the travel simply made us cherish our own country more.

We made friends in the desert, and wrote songs about the beauty and tragedy of the Aboriginal Nation. We joined forces with the millions who see the potential, and the perils, of the Australian destiny.

2000 came around, a rare moment of peace and goodwill. Yet even before the thrill and the smoke of the Sydney Olympics began to fade, great changes were being made.

Last week GW Bush finally admitted that Iraq may prove to be his Vietnam, but Vietnam inspired some of the greatest protest songs ever written. Not so now, surprisingly, even when hundreds of thousands of Australians crowded our streets to demonstrate their opposition to another senseless war. Maybe complaint rock is still being written, but is ignored by an industry hypnotised by get-famous-fast TV shows. Bless you, John Butler, but you shouldn't have to do it all by yourself.

Of course, everything eventually turns around, as Bush's predecessor of two centuries past, Thomas Jefferson, observed: 'A little patience and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles'.

There are so many to thank on this amazing journey, this strange fantastic dream. Thank you Denis Handlin and everyone now and then at CBS, Sony, and Sony/BMG. Our history is tied to yours - in fact, Denis was still packing shelves at Artarmon when we were packing shit at the Antler.

Thanks to our own cheer squad, past and present: our manager, Gary Morris, our office bearers, particularly Arlene and Craig; our crew, especially Michael and Nick; our tour managers, from Constance to Willie; our producers, chiefly Nick and Warne; and our first two bassplayers, Bear and Giffo. And thanks most of all to our families, who put up with long-absent husbands and fathers, and who graciously accepted our middle-distance stares and our long-distance phonecalls. They've seen us at our worst, trying to dial room service at home, or complaining that there's no TV in the bathroom. But they might also have to admit - like us - that when it's all been said and done, it's been lots of fun."
Rob, Oct 06