Editing Peter Garrett (section)

====Opposition (2004–2007)====
After the conclusion of Garrett's term as President of the Australian Conservation Foundation ended, in June 2004 Labor Leader [[Mark Latham]] announced that Garrett would become an [[Australian Labor Party]] candidate for the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] at that year's [[2004 Australian federal election|federal election]], in the safe New South Wales seat of [[Division of Kingsford Smith|Kingsford Smith]] which was being vacated by the former Cabinet Minister [[Laurie Brereton]]. There was some initial criticism from Labor members within the electorate, as the local branch had wished to select their own candidate;<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/06/07/1086460239547.html?from=storylhs |title=ALP clears runway for Garrett's next gig |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=8 June 2004 |access-date=5 July 2013 |last1=Davies |first1=Anne |last2=Contractor |first2=Aban |last3=Peatling |first3=Stephanie |archive-date=5 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105115043/http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/06/07/1086460239547.html?from=storylhs |url-status=live }}</ref> in the end, Garrett was comfortably elected for the seat in October 2004.
In 2015, Garrett alleged in his autobiography and an ABC documentary that he had been handed an envelope containing "hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars" in cash by a representative of Clubs NSW at a function following the 2004 election. He subsequently retracted his allegations and stated that the envelope in fact contained a cheque, which he returned, and also that the incident "took place before he was elected, which would mean the possible offence of bribery or attempted bribery of a public official would not apply".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-06/peter-garrett-retracts-details-of-alleged-clubs-nsw-money-offer/6831408|title=Peter Garrett, former Labor minister, retracts details of alleged Clubs NSW money offer|publisher=ABC News|date=6 October 2015|access-date=20 March 2021|archive-date=19 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119024950/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-06/peter-garrett-retracts-details-of-alleged-clubs-nsw-money-offer/6831408|url-status=live}}</ref> Clubs NSW subsequently sued the ABC for defamation, but withdrew the suit in 2016 following a court ruling on [[Discovery (law)|discovery]] that would have granted the ABC access to the organisation's financial records.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-20/clubs-nsw-drops-defamation-case-against-abc/7859030|title=Clubs NSW drops defamation case against ABC over Peter Garrett cash envelope story|publisher=ABC News|first=James|last=Thomas|date=20 September 2016|access-date=20 March 2021|archive-date=10 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310235248/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-20/clubs-nsw-drops-defamation-case-against-abc/7859030|url-status=live}}</ref>

Six months after entering parliament, Garrett was appointed Shadow [[Parliamentary Secretary]] for Reconciliation and the Arts.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/arts/sedition-bill-a-threat-to-arts/2005/10/29/1130400402080.html |last=Grattan |first=Michelle |author-link=Michelle Grattan |title=Sedition bill 'a threat to arts' |date=30 October 2005 |newspaper=The Age |location=Melbourne |access-date=5 July 2013 |archive-date=4 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104101117/http://www.theage.com.au/news/arts/sedition-bill-a-threat-to-arts/2005/10/29/1130400402080.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It was reported that he had modified some of his earlier views.<ref name=Eureka/> He expressed support for the [[ANZUS|U.S.-Australia alliance]], and recanted earlier opposition to the Joint U.S.-Australian Defence Facility at [[Pine Gap]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2004/s1129238.htm |title=Peter Garrett back flips on Pine Gap |work=[[PM (ABC Radio)|PM]] |publisher=[[Radio National|ABC Radio National]] |location=Australia |date=10 June 2004 |access-date=25 June 2010 |last=Grimm |first=Nick |format=transcript |archive-date=11 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511132052/http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2004/s1129238.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> He also stated that, while he would argue the case for environmentalism inside the Labor Party, he would observe the ultimate decision of the [[ALP caucus|party caucus]], including accepting any decision on the "no new uranium mines" policy.<ref>{{cite news |last=Heywood |first=Lachlan |date=12 December 2006 |url=http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,20912936-952,00.html |title=Power Beats Passion |newspaper=[[The Courier-Mail]] |access-date=9 June 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071127123551/http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,20912936-952,00.html |archive-date=27 November 2007}}</ref> Garrett's change of stance drew criticism from both journalists and Midnight Oil fans, who contrasted Garrett's former pronouncements on environmental and political issues he had made before joining the Labor Party.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21484678-5001028,00.html?from=public_rss |title=Garrett denies selling out beliefs |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|The Daily Telegraph]] |location=Australia |date=1 April 2007 |access-date=15 April 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071127085938/http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21484678-5001028,00.html?from=public_rss |archive-date=27 November 2007}}</ref>
[[Image:KingsfordSmith2007.jpg|left|thumb|A Garrett poster at a polling booth, 2007]]
While some in the media labelled him a "turncoat", some, such as ''[[Eureka Street (magazine)|Eureka Street]]'' and the ''[[Canberra Times]]'' columnist and [[Australian National University|ANU]] academic John Warhurst, defended his need to be a "team player" if he was going to succeed in the political game "from the inside".<ref name=Eureka>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=3575 |title=Politics is a team sport |magazine=[[Eureka Street (magazine)|Eureka Street]] |date=17 October 2007 |access-date=25 June 2010 |last=Warhurst |first=John |archive-date=21 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221183221/http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=3575 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Garrett campaigned for Labor in the [[2006 Victorian state election]], causing some controversy when he sent a letter to voters in the seat of [[Electoral district of Melbourne|Melbourne]], where Labor and the Greens were embroiled in a tight contest. In the letter Garrett urged voters not to vote for the Greens, claiming they were in alliance with the conservative [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]]. This incurred the ire of Greens Leader, and former Garrett ally, [[Bob Brown]], who accused Garrett of having "sold out" and of going against the environmental movement since joining the Labor Party.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/brown-sees-red-over-garrett-sell-out/2006/11/29/1164476260282.html |title=Brown sees red over Garrett 'sell out' |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=29 November 2006 |access-date=25 June 2010 |archive-date=25 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111225183704/http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/brown-sees-red-over-garrett-sell-out/2006/11/29/1164476260282.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In December 2006, [[Kevin Rudd]] appointed Garrett to his Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Climate Change, the Environment, Heritage and the Arts.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Shadow Ministry 10&nbsp;December 2006 |journal=Labor EHerald |publisher=[[Australian Labor Party|ALP]] |date=10 December 2006 |url=http://eherald.alp.org.au/download/now/shadow_ministry.pdf |access-date=15 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071128085741/http://eherald.alp.org.au/download/now/shadow_ministry.pdf |archive-date=28 November 2007}}</ref> Garrett supported Rudd in that month's [[Australian Labor Party leadership election, 2006|leadership spill]], a decision he would later come to regret, saying years later that it was "certainly the biggest mistake" he made in his political career.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/peter-garrett-says-kevin-rudd-was-a-danger-to-australia-in-tv-interview-20151011-gk6i04.html |title=Peter Garrett uses TV interview to say Kevin Rudd was a danger to Australia |first=Georgina |last=Mitchell |date=11 October 2015 |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=9 June 2018 |archive-date=12 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612142053/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/peter-garrett-says-kevin-rudd-was-a-danger-to-australia-in-tv-interview-20151011-gk6i04.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the [[2007 Australian federal election|2007 election]] campaign, Garrett caused some controversy after the journalist [[Steve Price (broadcaster)|Steve Price]] claimed that Garrett had said to him Labor would change their policies if put in power. This was disputed by Garrett as a "short jocular conversation".<ref name="stripped">{{cite news |last=Topsfield |first=Jewel |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/11/29/1196037074839.html |title=Garrett stripped of climate change role |newspaper=[[The Age]] |date=30 November 2007 |access-date=9 June 2018 |archive-date=4 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091104120930/http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/11/29/1196037074839.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Garrett was comfortably re-elected for Kingsford Smith in the election, with a 4.56% swing towards him.<ref name="2007_Election">{{cite web |url=http://results.aec.gov.au/13745/website/HouseDivisionFirstPrefs-13745-127.htm |title=Australian Electoral Commission summary of Kingsford Smith, Federal Election 2007 |website=[[Australian Electoral Commission]] |date=19 December 2007 |access-date=19 December 2007 |archive-date=21 July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080721193340/http://results.aec.gov.au/13745/Website/HouseDivisionFirstPrefs-13745-127.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>