With the Montara Oil Well oil spill off the north western Australian coastline now in it`s tenth week, we could be witnessing the makings of a major oil spill disaster as the tons of oil continue to escape from the subject well, seemingly with the authorities indifference to the damage to fauna and sea-life that could be the ultimate result.

It is very cavalier of the Federal Government to state that there is no threat to the coastline of WA and the NT from this spill, even so the continuation of this spill is bordering on environmental vandalism and the effects will be felt by someone regardless, and if it is not us then it will be a neigbouring country.

It appears that Peter Garrett is exercising the same nonchalance over this issue as he has over the Traveston Crossing Dam issue and is effectively acting as the wagging tail of the dog and leaves a lot to be desired in the efficient operation of his portfolio in protecting our increasingly endangered environment.

This questionable decision-making by Mr Garrett and his department is only to be expected from a Minister who was "selected" because of his public image at the time, and since his inbdoctrination on the Labor front bench, he appears to have done very little to impress the electorate and comes across as just another "Noddy" in the picture of things.

Steps need to be taken immediately to bring this Oil Spill fiasco to an end before the impending damage is grabbed upon as a weapon of economic convenience by any one of our close neigbouring countries, or the next thing we will be faced with is an inundation of "environmental refugees" from any one of these affected neigbours!

Peter Garrett, for the time being, has no choice but to act in the way he has. He KNOWS, as do his colleagues, that if he attempted to enact his genuinely held beliefs at this stage, then the Labour Party would suffer from the resulting right wing spin from the coalition. Peter Garrett would then be well and truly on the back bench, and in NO position to effectively influence much needed future change. Politics is a waiting game, it's all about patience, and Peter Garrett's time will come, and he knows it.

Hi,
To me Peter Garrett was most respectable when with Midnight Oil.
He made a point with his music and spoke his mind. Some people might not have liked it or agreed on, but I believe he was faithful than, and I really enjoyed his music.
Today he is just another politician, talking a lot while saying nothing.
The oil spill disaster however reaches far beyond Australia, not only for the consequences of the marine life and close by coastal areas,
but for our reputation.
Kevin Rudds dream was/is to lead the region, but in what?
10 weeks now and we are still unable to fix this thing and the world is watching. Maybe our big headed politician should ask for help abroad. Peter Garrett, please show some courage!
I strongly believe we should never ever consider nuclear power, we just don't have what it takes. Just imagine a problem in a reactor,
a disaster waiting to happen.

from: The Straits Times
Nov 2, 2009
Oil rig in Timor Sea on fire

SYDNEY - A MASSIVE fire erupted on an oil rig that has been leaking into the Timor Sea and Australia's government Monday promised an investigation, the latest drama in a 10-week saga to plug the hole.

... (full article contents linked below)

The oil slick from the rig, about 150 miles (250 kilometres) off Australia's northwest coast, now stretches across thousands of miles (kilometres) of remote ocean. Indonesia said last week that thousands of dead fish and clumps of oil have been found drifting near its coastline. -- AP

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/SE+Asia/Story/STIStory_449350.html