Give Peter Garrett a go, fellow commentators. He's an idealist in the real world. We need more of 'em. He's done the hard yards on the environmental fringe, let see what he can do in the centre. Like Jimmy Carter asking Al Gore to run for US President (by September), because although Mr Gore would possibly enjoy his activism more than the responsibility of being US President, he can do a lot more from the White House than he can picking up an Academy award for his great movie. Sure there's the danger that in time PG will become another hard-nosed cynic who just wants ministerial leather (that Amnesty badge looks out of place on your chest, Mr Ruddock!), but for the moment, give Garrett a go! As he sang (beautifully) on the Breathe album: "The wrecking fields are a terrible place, Where the hook is early and the critic is king. It's hard to stay human and stand in the ring".

Personally I would very much like to know how the Federal budget is approaching a Trillion dollars, to be spent on a mere 20 million people, and yet we are not living in houses made of gold, yet alone protecting the environment, which should be our No1 priority any answers out there.