Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Former Lead Singer Challenged Over Drugs


Peter Garret
Originally uploaded by Sydney Weasel
Leftist culture is such that many say that "taking drugs is a victimless crime."

Has an Australian Federal Parlaimentarian committed that crime?

2 comments:

  1. Garrett pressured to take drug test
    from news.com.au
    FEDERAL Labor MP Peter Garrett is under pressure to take a drug test following claims by Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns that the two smoked joints with U2 lead singer Bono in Sydney.

    During a radio interview with Triple J yesterday, Johns described how he and singer wife Natalie Imbruglia had been invited, along with the former Midnight Oil frontman, to a house rented by Bono while he was in Sydney in November.

    "It was really one of the most surreal moments of my life," Johns said.

    "It was me and Natalie and Peter Garrett and Bono laying on Bono's bed smoking joints, listening to Young Modern demos."

    Hours later - after being contacted by Mr Garrett's office - Johns issued a lengthy statement describing that claim as a "stupid" and saying "I really should just shut up and stick to singing."

    "(Bono and Mr Garrett) are both known to be very anti-drugs, so that's why I assumed everybody would know I was joking when I made that comment," he said.

    "I was fortunate enough to get to play them some of my demos but I swear no joints were involved.

    "I guess I felt like a bit of a namedropper mentioning them on the radio, so that's why I added a silly throwaway joke."

    Just a joke

    A spokeswoman for Mr Garrett yesterday said: "We confirm Daniel Johns' statement saying that it was a joke."

    Kate Pasterfield later quoted her boss Mr Garrett as saying: "I tried a bit of dope in my 20s but I haven't since."

    Mr Garrett has been reluctant to discuss whether he has any experience with drugs, refusing to address the issue in a 2004 interview.

    "That's a part of my life which is closed," he told 3AW.

    Random drug tests

    Anti-drugs campaigner Tony Wood, whose daughter Anna died of an ecstasy overdose in 1995, said Mr Garrett could prove his innocence by being tested for marijuana.

    He also called for the introduction of random drug tests at all levels of government.

    "These people are our leading figures," he said. "If they're going into Parliament and they're stoned, how can they be making decisions on our behalf?

    "It's about time we got out and started getting tough on them."

    Johns "irresponsible"

    Drug prevention groups slammed Johns' comments as irresponsible.

    Family Drug Support founder Tony Trimingham, whose son Damien died of a heroin overdose in 1997, said Johns' remarks did more harm than good.

    "He might see it as a joke, but he should realise that he is a role model and what people like him say influences young people," Mr Trimingham said.

    "The whole point is, whether it's happened or not, it's the public raising of the act that's irresponsible, as far as I'm concerned.

    "Peter Garrett should be saying something along the lines of what I'm saying, I would have thought, given that he's now in a position of huge responsibility."

    With The Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun

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  2. Garrett not amused by dopey joke
    By Michelle Cazzulino and wires
    ONE-time rockstar Peter Garrett's transformation to straight pollie is complete, with the former Midnight Oil frontman today urging all Australians not to be naughty.

    Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns was yesterday forced into an embarrassing apology after claiming he spent an afternoon smoking marijuana with Garrett, now a federal MP, and U2 lead singer Bono last year.

    During a radio interview with Triple J, Johns described how he and singer wife Natalie Imbruglia had been invited, along with the former Midnight Oil frontman, to a house rented by Bono while he was in Sydney in November.

    "It was really one of the most surreal moments of my life," Johns said. "It was me and Natalie and Peter Garrett and Bono laying on Bono's bed smoking joints, listening to Young Modern demos."

    Hours later, Johns issued a lengthy statement describing that claim as a "stupid" and saying "I really should just shut up and stick to singing."

    And today Garrett stressed he was a law-abiding citizen.

    "I'll tell you what I think is really critical, people have got to fully abide by the law," he said.

    "They need to be aware of all the risks involved in whatever behaviour they are engaged in and I think Daniel's apologised for the joke he made.

    "Daniel has already apologised for the joke that backfired," Mr Garrett said.

    "I have accepted his apology. I think Danny will go on and make fantastic music (but) he probably won't be giving interviews for a while as a consequence."

    Johns said yesterday: "(Bono and Mr Garrett) are both known to be very anti-drugs, so that's why I assumed everybody would know I was joking when I made that comment. I was fortunate enough to get to play them some of my demos but I swear no joints were involved.

    "I guess I felt like a bit of a namedropper mentioning them on the radio, so that's why I added a silly throwaway joke."

    A spokeswoman for Mr Garrett yesterday said: "We confirm Daniel Johns' statement saying that it was a joke."

    Kate Pasterfield later quoted her boss Mr Garrett as saying: "I tried a bit of dope in my 20s but I haven't since."

    Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd refused to get involved.

    "I think the matter has been cleared up by Daniel Johns' statement," a spokesman for Mr Rudd said.

    Drug prevention groups yesterday slammed Johns' comments as irresponsible.

    Family Drug Support founder Tony Trimingham, whose son Damien died of a heroin overdose in 1997, said Johns' remarks did more harm than good.

    "He might see it as a joke, but he should realise that he is a role model and what people like him say influences young people," Mr Trimingham said.

    "The whole point is, whether it's happened or not, it's the public raising of the act that's irresponsible, as far as I'm concerned.

    "Peter Garrett should be saying something along the lines of what I'm saying, I would have thought, given that he's now in a position of huge responsibility."

    Anti-drugs campaigner Tony Wood, whose daughter Anna died of an ecstasy overdose in 1995, said Mr Garrett could resolve the matter by proving the incident initially described by Johns had never taken place.

    "The easiest way for him to fix this is to go out and have himself drug-tested today," he said.

    He also called for the introduction of random drug tests at all levels of government.

    "These people are our leading figures," he said. "If they're going into Parliament and they're stoned, how can they be making decisions on our behalf?

    "It's about time we got out and started getting tough on them."

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