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This is Beer with Duncan.
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One hour, one guest, their songs and an honest conversation about how life actually gets built.
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My guest today is Peter Garrett and unless you've been paying very close attention, you've probably never heard of her.
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That, it turns out, is rather the point.
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Peter has spent her whole working life around words and people, almost always just out of the frame.
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She started out listening to what a whole country was saying.
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She became a journalist.
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She taught little kids how to think about right and wrong.
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And then she walked into the arena.
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Not as the person at the microphone or in front of the TV, but as the one just behind them.
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The person whose job is to help a community be heard.
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This hour is about the most important work in any room.
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The work no one sees.
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Peter Garrett, welcome to the show.
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Thank you for having me, Duncan.
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It is a pleasure.
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It is a pleasure.
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Great to be here.
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What do you think of the intro?
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Exceptional.
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Exceptional.
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Was it on point?
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Oh, I guess so, yeah.
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It's funny.
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I've never thought of myself as...
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you know, not being seen.
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Like I just get on with my job.
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Like I don't think like that at all.
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So yeah, it's an interesting perspective.
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Interesting perspective.
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Well, that's sort of what I've gathered.
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You know, it's my perspective at the moment.
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So we'll see if anyone else agrees with me out there.
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Yep.
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So what time did you wake up this morning?
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I woke up.
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You didn't say you were going to start with this question.
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Geez.
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Well, maybe I've forgotten.
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I don't know, about 8.30, getting ready to take my son to tennis.
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So normal parent Saturday morning sport, which many people out there will probably relate to.
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So, yeah.
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Yeah, that's my Saturday morning today.
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That's a Saturday morning.
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That's fair enough.
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Yeah.
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And who was the first person you spoke to today?
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Oh, I think it was my son.
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Yeah, my 16-year-old son, trying to encourage him to have breakfast, like most mornings.
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Yeah, I mean, the first thing I spoke to were my two crazy dogs, the two, terrible two, I call them, because it's my fault.
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I know I'm the parent.
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Um, yeah, but I love them to death.
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So, oh, that's very nice.
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Yeah.
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And so to go on, um, be honest, how many unread messages are on your phone right now?
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Do you want me to look it up?
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Yeah.
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Are we talking texts or everything?
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Well, texts I'm pretty good at, I've got to say.
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Um, so there's nine.
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Oh, okay.
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But, but they're the texts that I have to remember.
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It's like a reminder.
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So I go, oh, nine texts.
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Oh, that's right.
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I haven't done that yet.
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Um, yeah.
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Personal emails, 319.
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319.
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That's good.
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I like that.
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That's a lot.
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That's a lot?
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Yeah.
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How does it make you feel?
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I sort of get to the point where it goes beyond and I go, oh, look, I'm sure they've probably emailed a few times now or if I haven't paid a bill or something, someone will ring me.
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So, yeah, and I do go through it eventually and then, yeah.
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Get on top of it.
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So this is one I've actually come up with.
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It's actually come up a few times when I say, I've got Peter Garrett coming on to the show.
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I knew you were going to bring this up.
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So it is one letter from one of the most famous Australian names.
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How often does it come up?
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Every time I meet someone new.
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Yeah.
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Literally.
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I preempt now pretty much and go, I know what you're going to say.
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So, yeah, it's – the funny thing is I took my ex-husband's surname, so I did it to myself.
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So, no excuses.
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And, look, I –
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as you probably will speak about, I used to work as a journalist in community newspapers.
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So it was actually a really great name for that because a lot of the time when you go out to interview people, um, you sort of want to break the ice and you know, you want them to be relaxed.
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Um,
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So they open up more.
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And so as soon as I introduce myself, people either laugh, laugh, they'll start singing, actually singing Minardau songs to me.
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And then I, yeah, so it was a breaking the ice, it's a breaking the ice thing, which is great.
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And, you know, I just say, yeah, I'm a lot shorter and I've got more hair.
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Yeah.
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Yeah, and I can't sing though, so I can't claim that.
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You can't sing?
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No karaoke today?
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No.
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No way.
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No songs?
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No way.
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No way?
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No way.
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Okay, that's good.
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So when someone asks you what you do, what do you say first?
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I say I work for a member of parliament.
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Yeah?
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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And obviously people understand that straight away.
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So, and then they asked me, you know, who, who I work for and then what, what's entailed in my job.
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And so I obviously let them know.
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And then I say, my job is basically working for the community at the end of the day.
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And yeah, most of, most of the time it's, um, taxi drivers actually who asked me about my job.
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Yeah.
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Coming back from, um, you know, the airport or going to the airport, um, um, um, um,
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They're the main people who ask me what I do.
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Yeah.
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I don't get asked many, like, socially.
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I don't know if things have changed these days, but you don't really talk about what you do socially these days.
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Don't you?
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It depends on your friends, I guess.
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Yeah.
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I guess if you're with your friends, they know what you do.
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Yeah, exactly.
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So they're not going to ask.
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Exactly.
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Good point.
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Good point, Duncan.
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And so what does the rest of your day look like after me?
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After today?
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Yeah.
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Just going home to be with my kids and the crazy dogs.
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And yeah, we'll probably watch a movie together and yeah, just chill.
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Just chill.
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Yeah.
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I like that for a Saturday.
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Not going out tonight.
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Not going out dancing.
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Oh, no, not tonight.
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So every guest on this show brings their own soundtrack and their songs are yours and things that are important to you.
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So, Peter, I've got your first one here is as In My Life by The Beatles.
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Why this one?
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Well, yeah, I know you asked me to get five songs and I'm that type of person that will think about it in depth for a day, weeks even.
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How is this going to be received?
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Like, yeah.
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Do I have anxiety issues?
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Yes.
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But so this one in particular is very important because this was a song when my auntie Jill passed away from breast cancer in 2003.
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This song happened to be playing.
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And so every time I hear this song, I think of her and, yeah, yeah.
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So it clutches my heart every time, and that's why I chose that song.
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That's beautiful.
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This is In My Life, The Beatles.
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You're on Radio Northern Beaches 88.7 and 90.3.
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And you're on Radio Northern Beaches 88.7 and 90.3.
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And I have the wonderful Peter, not Peter, Garrett in here today with me.
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So...
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I want to go back before all of it.
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Where did you grow up and what kind of a kid were you?
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I grew up on the beaches.
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Oh, yeah?
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At Newport, Beaconsfield Street, where the Newport Arms, I don't think they're called the Newport Arms anymore.
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It's Newport these days, isn't it?
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I still call it Newport Arms.
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Oh, do you?
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Okay.
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Yeah, so went to Avalon Kindy, Newport Public School, had very fond memories living there.
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And what sort of kid was I?
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I would say cheeky, resilient, and yeah, I had a great childhood, so...
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happy kid, I'd say.
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Happy kid?
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Yeah, I had a lot of challenges as a kid, which, you know, has sort of made me the person I am today, I think, which is where the resilience has come in.
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I had neuroblastoma diagnosed, which is a childhood cancer, diagnosed when under two.
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So, yeah, obviously my parents, my mum in particular, you know –
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Taught me I could do anything.
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I was just like everybody else, even though, you know, I have long-term impacts of that illness, which is why I guess the resilience comes in.
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So very determined.
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Very determined.
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Where would you have been found at lunchtime at school?
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Playing handball.
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Still the same as probably most kids, hopefully most kids.
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Playing handball, freeze, that sort of stuff.
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Just chilling with my mates, having lunch.
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Yeah.
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No, that's pretty much it.
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It's not very exciting.
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It doesn't sound very exciting, does it?
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I think it's great.
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I mean, our childhoods, you know, they're the fond memories for most, hopefully.
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Yes.
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And it's good to go back to that.
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I think it's good to remember that.
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Yeah, I have vivid memories of Newport Public.
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There was one part of the playground where it had a lot of trees, banana trees, and in Year 3 I had the best art teacher ever, Mr Atrey, and he was so good at art.
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And he really encouraged us to be artistic.
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And I still remember going out the back of the school and painting those banana trees.
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And I think I kept that painting for a long time, actually.
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I don't think I have it anymore.
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But, yeah, I have vivid memories and really good memories of that school.
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And I've just reconnected with one of my friends from back then.
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And she lives in Bower now.
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And we're going to catch up.
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That's lovely.
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Yeah.
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That's so nice.
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Yeah, it's pretty cool.
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In the house you grew up in, who did the listening?
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Parents.
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All of us.
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Yeah.
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All of us at different times.
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Yeah, obviously, I've got a brother and a sister.
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I'm the oldest, so the bossy one.
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And so they listen to me.
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No, just joking.
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They would say they still listen to me, but no, no.
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Yeah, so we listen to each other.
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We listen to our parents.
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um and our grandparents and yeah yeah it was you know really good relationships it was nice relationships yeah we were we're very lucky yeah did you have lots of around the table dinner dinner time and breakfast were they important in your house yeah i mean my dad used to work a lot um he often wasn't there for dinner um but on the weekends definitely and yeah we always used to sit at the table and
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you know, we'd muck up and we'd sit at the table and not eat our veggies.
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And then someone would, you know, we'd have to sometimes, you're not leaving the table till you eat those peas, you know.
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Yeah.
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And we'd all be like laughing our heads off until we weren't anymore because we were still sitting at the table.
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So we ended up eating them.
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But anyway, that sounds terrible now that you say that, but.
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I still eat my pee, so that's all good, but yeah.
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No, I don't think it's bad.
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It doesn't sound terrible at all.
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I think we're all kids, aren't we?
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Yeah, yeah.
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I mean, my brother and sister and I are really close.
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Yeah.
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Still are.
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Oh, that's so nice.
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Yeah.
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And so your first proper job was media monitoring, transcribing and tracking what a whole country was saying.
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Yep.
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What do years of listening to other people's words do to a person?
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It's...
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opens your mind as to what other people are going through, understanding what other people's lives are like, what good things, what not so good things, what pressures, where things in society or government or whatever is in their life maybe isn't equal.
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It gives insight.
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into other people yeah um and you know insight into you know fantastic artists and um you know things that you just didn't even know existed too but that was that would probably be the biggest thing insight into other people's lives were there any particular stories that might have touched you deeply or that still resonate that you can still hear today
248
00:13:40.488 --> 00:13:53.179
Not – well, media monitoring, it's very fast-paced and, you know, every news bulletin, every radio show and it's, you know, it's a lot of information coming.
249
00:13:53.759 --> 00:14:06.450
So probably not through media monitoring as such, but I'd say through my journalism side of things when I was working in community newspapers, there are two stories that still –
250
00:14:07.526 --> 00:14:08.507
stay with me today.
251
00:14:09.307 --> 00:14:13.570
And a lot of my work I do in my current job is very similar to community newspapers.
252
00:14:13.690 --> 00:14:23.558
It's about – it's predominantly about community and what's going on in the community and how you can support the community and help people.
253
00:14:23.718 --> 00:14:27.500
And there was two stories that I still talk about today.
254
00:14:28.181 --> 00:14:29.682
One was a family –
255
00:14:31.028 --> 00:14:34.291
who had a child with a disability.
256
00:14:35.132 --> 00:14:47.503
And the community transport service that would take the son to and from school or medical appointments was being shut down.
257
00:14:47.563 --> 00:14:48.844
The funding was being cut.
258
00:14:49.845 --> 00:14:51.427
And I went to their house and I met them.
259
00:14:51.487 --> 00:14:55.590
And the older brother, who was only about 12,
260
00:14:57.175 --> 00:15:00.457
he spoke to me with his parents' permission as well as the parents.
261
00:15:00.477 --> 00:15:01.438
We all chatted together.
262
00:15:02.538 --> 00:15:07.481
And the impact on this cut in funding was enormous, was going to be enormous.
263
00:15:08.282 --> 00:15:14.125
And this brother who, you know, his whole life was about looking after his brother.
264
00:15:16.486 --> 00:15:19.788
You know, that story has stayed with me.
265
00:15:19.848 --> 00:15:25.652
And in a similar way, another story of some elderly parents who,
266
00:15:26.225 --> 00:15:36.831
in their 80s, whose son had mental health disorder and he was living in housing and the housing funding was being cut for the housing as well.
267
00:15:37.992 --> 00:15:47.717
And we had a huge group of other parents in this room one day and we all had a chat about how it was going to impact all these people's lives.
268
00:15:48.138 --> 00:15:51.500
And they were very distressed.
269
00:15:52.260 --> 00:15:55.462
So those two stories, I guess, have definitely stayed with me.
270
00:15:57.473 --> 00:16:06.096
in terms of the impact of decisions that are taken at a certain level of government with little understanding of the impact on the ground.
271
00:16:07.917 --> 00:16:11.598
They're just two stories that really did have stayed with me.
272
00:16:11.698 --> 00:16:24.342
And I guess on that, it's that gap, isn't it, between policy and decision-making when it comes to funding and impact is... And you're in a coalface of it in Parliament...
273
00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:31.124
and something you probably see every day when it comes to the decisions that they make and how it impacts community.
274
00:16:31.824 --> 00:16:33.945
Is it getting worse or is it getting better?
275
00:16:35.967 --> 00:16:37.988
It depends what issue you're talking about.
276
00:16:38.008 --> 00:16:48.494
I think people are obviously, you know, the cost of living right now is putting a lot of pressure on people.
277
00:16:50.395 --> 00:16:53.737
You know, I think in that respect, it's getting worse, but...
278
00:16:55.882 --> 00:17:06.124
I think, look, I think you can make a difference if you do listen and advocate and just keep pushing for those changes to happen.
279
00:17:08.685 --> 00:17:15.006
And the way that it works is if you do it with community and you work together, you can actually see change for the better.
280
00:17:15.066 --> 00:17:15.406
You can.
281
00:17:15.446 --> 00:17:18.127
I know that sounds clichéd, but it is actually true.
282
00:17:18.327 --> 00:17:19.787
I've seen it happen many times.
283
00:17:20.587 --> 00:17:22.528
But it's a big push.
284
00:17:22.568 --> 00:17:23.688
It's a fight sometimes.
285
00:17:24.690 --> 00:17:27.772
which is, I guess, where my determination comes in again.
286
00:17:27.792 --> 00:17:28.973
Yep, yep.
287
00:17:29.193 --> 00:17:30.594
I'm not giving up, you know.
288
00:17:30.614 --> 00:17:32.056
So, yeah.
289
00:17:32.636 --> 00:17:39.101
What do you see is the biggest or, say, top three biggest issues for community on the northern beaches at the moment?
290
00:17:40.322 --> 00:17:47.208
I think cost of living, housing affordability, which there's obviously a lot of sub-issues to those areas.
291
00:17:48.489 --> 00:17:52.092
And then transport is another huge issue for this area too.
292
00:17:52.112 --> 00:17:52.812
Definitely.
293
00:17:53.113 --> 00:17:53.433
Definitely.
294
00:17:55.248 --> 00:17:59.830
Radio Northern Beaches, 88.7 and 90.3.
295
00:18:00.331 --> 00:18:02.672
And I have Peter Garrett with an A.
296
00:18:02.692 --> 00:18:05.793
That's right.
297
00:18:05.973 --> 00:18:06.434
In today.
298
00:18:08.195 --> 00:18:12.517
So the ethics classroom is something interesting.
299
00:18:13.017 --> 00:18:18.120
So for three years, you taught primary kids ethics while freelancing and running a community fun run.
300
00:18:18.500 --> 00:18:19.040
I understand.
301
00:18:19.320 --> 00:18:19.961
That's right.
302
00:18:20.561 --> 00:18:24.583
What did six and seven-year-olds teach you about right and wrong?
303
00:18:26.578 --> 00:18:27.618
That's a big question.
304
00:18:28.578 --> 00:18:31.139
The big questions here on Be With Duncan, Peter, you should know that.
305
00:18:31.239 --> 00:18:31.979
You were prepped.
306
00:18:32.599 --> 00:18:34.640
I was going to say, I saw it before, that's right.
307
00:18:35.140 --> 00:18:36.981
No excuse not to be shocked.
308
00:18:38.681 --> 00:18:43.242
They taught me that they have an open mind.
309
00:18:45.563 --> 00:18:47.163
They are little, they are sponges.
310
00:18:48.623 --> 00:18:49.724
Sponges, ready to learn.
311
00:18:49.944 --> 00:18:51.004
And...
312
00:18:55.309 --> 00:19:00.892
Yeah, they do take in information and, you know, form their own ideas.
313
00:19:01.153 --> 00:19:02.233
Yeah.
314
00:19:03.094 --> 00:19:04.995
Even at those young ages.
315
00:19:06.916 --> 00:19:10.798
Teaching ethics, primary ethics is one of the best things I've ever done.
316
00:19:10.998 --> 00:19:11.319
Really?
317
00:19:12.319 --> 00:19:20.204
Oh, it's just, you know, there's a curriculum that the primary ethics organisation puts together, you know,
318
00:19:20.865 --> 00:19:23.927
The volunteers don't write their own curriculums.
319
00:19:23.987 --> 00:19:26.868
It's all, they're all ex-teachers, et cetera.
320
00:19:27.669 --> 00:19:29.370
So it's very straightforward job.
321
00:19:29.390 --> 00:19:30.390
Yeah.
322
00:19:30.971 --> 00:19:38.855
And they pose questions, you know, ethical dilemma type questions to kids, obviously tailored to their age.
323
00:19:39.035 --> 00:19:39.255
Yeah.
324
00:19:40.296 --> 00:19:45.358
And it was just interesting to see them, you know, handle these sort of questions.
325
00:19:45.439 --> 00:19:49.901
Like one of the question scenarios was, is it ever,
326
00:19:50.392 --> 00:20:19.278
right to not tell the truth to or lie to a friend and so you know some of the little minds were the clogs were ticking over and they'd come back with well say you didn't want to hurt someone's feelings maybe it's okay because you don't want to upset them you know so yeah it was it was really um it was very enjoyable to see these little minds work and what they came out with and how they deal with ethical dilemmas it was great
327
00:20:19.610 --> 00:20:25.896
Yeah, because the next question was, like, if there was a... What's a question a seven-year-old asked that you still can't answer?
328
00:20:28.158 --> 00:20:28.298
Oh.
329
00:20:30.280 --> 00:20:31.101
That's a hard one.
330
00:20:32.042 --> 00:20:33.824
I'm going to have to think about that one, Duncan.
331
00:20:34.204 --> 00:20:34.705
That's okay.
332
00:20:39.011 --> 00:20:42.612
I don't really have – I think we talked about all the questions.
333
00:20:42.652 --> 00:20:48.373
I don't think there was one that we can't – we didn't – we weren't able to answer, actually.
334
00:20:48.893 --> 00:20:51.874
There's nothing that – and I know I was prepped.
335
00:20:52.754 --> 00:20:57.755
But obviously, no, there's nothing sort of – You didn't have all the questions, just FYI.
336
00:20:58.555 --> 00:20:59.075
Oh, okay.
337
00:20:59.475 --> 00:21:00.556
Well, what's coming?
338
00:21:01.156 --> 00:21:01.496
Oh, no.
339
00:21:03.036 --> 00:21:07.197
No, so we didn't have any unanswerable questions, and we talked things out together.
340
00:21:08.241 --> 00:21:09.422
You know, so, yeah.
341
00:21:09.562 --> 00:21:10.103
That's nice.
342
00:21:11.224 --> 00:21:11.764
The Minimos.
343
00:21:12.985 --> 00:21:13.486
Yes.
344
00:21:13.626 --> 00:21:17.389
What is it about a local fun run that politics can never quite replicate?
345
00:21:22.313 --> 00:21:23.254
They're very different.
346
00:21:23.895 --> 00:21:25.696
Politics is a big word, Duncan.
347
00:21:25.796 --> 00:21:26.257
I know.
348
00:21:26.697 --> 00:21:29.039
There's a lot of different things to politics.
349
00:21:29.059 --> 00:21:29.840
Yeah.
350
00:21:31.101 --> 00:21:35.125
Both of them, I'm going to answer it politically.
351
00:21:35.145 --> 00:21:35.205
Go.
352
00:21:35.245 --> 00:21:36.166
Go for it.
353
00:21:36.446 --> 00:21:42.932
Both of them, the foundation for both is exactly the same in terms of community.
354
00:21:43.472 --> 00:21:45.394
Everything's going back to community with me, right?
355
00:21:46.695 --> 00:21:48.877
I think we're finding something, aren't we?
356
00:21:49.238 --> 00:21:50.619
Yes, we have found something.
357
00:21:52.140 --> 00:21:54.683
So, yeah, the foundation is exactly the same.
358
00:21:55.688 --> 00:22:19.915
Um, we, the mini mosque raised funds for most in public school, um, where my kids went to school and we also raised funds for charity at the same time, two charities every time, every time the fund run was on and yeah, basically about supporting the community, the school, the kids, um, the school community, but also the broader community as well.
359
00:22:20.896 --> 00:22:22.656
Um, and politics is the same.
360
00:22:22.736 --> 00:22:24.237
It's about representing your community.
361
00:22:24.257 --> 00:22:24.737
Um, yeah.
362
00:22:25.133 --> 00:22:29.735
helping your community, listening to your community, being the voice of your community.
363
00:22:29.995 --> 00:22:32.796
It's very similar foundations, I'd say.
364
00:22:33.976 --> 00:22:35.437
You may have answered the next question.
365
00:22:37.097 --> 00:22:42.819
Teaching kids ethics, running a fun run, freelancing, that's a person circling something.
366
00:22:43.860 --> 00:22:44.600
What are we circling?
367
00:22:45.500 --> 00:22:46.581
What do you mean by circling?
368
00:22:47.241 --> 00:22:49.602
Well, back to what it's all about.
369
00:22:50.844 --> 00:22:52.044
And it's probably about community.
370
00:22:52.124 --> 00:22:52.884
I'd say that.
371
00:22:53.125 --> 00:22:56.045
I think we've answered that pretty clearly already.
372
00:22:56.065 --> 00:22:56.545
Yep.
373
00:22:56.885 --> 00:22:57.706
It is, yeah.
374
00:22:57.866 --> 00:22:58.786
You know, as I said before.
375
00:22:58.806 --> 00:22:59.726
So that's important to you.
376
00:23:00.126 --> 00:23:01.046
It is important.
377
00:23:01.486 --> 00:23:02.747
It is important.
378
00:23:04.467 --> 00:23:09.788
I, yeah, even when I go back to my journalism, it was all community, community newspapers.
379
00:23:10.529 --> 00:23:12.189
And I, look, I do, I love it.
380
00:23:12.663 --> 00:23:14.805
I really do love it, which is why it's been a...
381
00:23:14.885 --> 00:23:16.187
I can tell by the smile on your face.
382
00:23:16.287 --> 00:23:16.727
Oh, really?
383
00:23:16.767 --> 00:23:17.107
Yeah, I do.
384
00:23:17.127 --> 00:23:19.770
For our listeners, like, she lights up.
385
00:23:19.810 --> 00:23:20.130
I do.
386
00:23:20.411 --> 00:23:21.211
I do enjoy it.
387
00:23:21.892 --> 00:23:23.274
Look, I'm a people person.
388
00:23:25.115 --> 00:23:34.324
And when, you know, I was asked once, what's the, you know, where do you go in your mind when you want to just totally chill out?
389
00:23:35.365 --> 00:23:40.310
And I said, oh, I'd love to be on a beach surrounded by a lot of people.
390
00:23:40.891 --> 00:23:42.712
And the person was like, a lot of people?
391
00:23:42.953 --> 00:23:45.495
You want to chill out with a lot of people around you?
392
00:23:45.575 --> 00:23:49.259
And I'm like, yes, I love being around people.
393
00:23:50.920 --> 00:24:10.481
it it sort of um keeps me keeps me happy keeps me content I feel comfortable I don't have to know the people I don't even have to talk to the people do you know what I mean like I just it's just me it's just who I am so I guess that's why I have that theme of community has been through every part of my professional career
394
00:24:10.905 --> 00:24:12.685
I think we've found that theme.
395
00:24:12.905 --> 00:24:14.586
That's where I was looking for.
396
00:24:14.866 --> 00:24:15.406
Okay.
397
00:24:15.566 --> 00:24:16.306
Congratulations.
398
00:24:16.386 --> 00:24:17.126
Thank you.
399
00:24:17.506 --> 00:24:20.407
You've done that.
400
00:24:20.447 --> 00:24:23.268
We've done that.
401
00:24:23.288 --> 00:24:24.348
No, it is.
402
00:24:24.368 --> 00:24:32.349
I think that's what we sort of circled back to and sort of what I was trying to find about you and what's been important in your life.
403
00:24:33.090 --> 00:24:33.990
And it comes back to you.
404
00:24:34.010 --> 00:24:38.991
I think you're always helping your community or you're trying to listen to your community one way or the other.
405
00:24:39.691 --> 00:24:40.491
I think that's beautiful.
406
00:24:40.731 --> 00:24:43.532
Oh, thanks.
407
00:24:43.772 --> 00:24:53.414
Look, I think also, you know, there's also part of me that doesn't, you know, like injustice and I really believe in equality.
408
00:24:54.874 --> 00:25:06.277
And so that also is embedded in me as well in terms of ensuring that, like, in sort of whatever setting I'm in, whoever I'm with and particularly that.
409
00:25:07.226 --> 00:25:10.207
at the community level, which is part of it as well.
410
00:25:10.447 --> 00:25:11.067
So, yeah.
411
00:25:11.647 --> 00:25:12.228
It's beautiful.
412
00:25:12.248 --> 00:25:13.848
Oh, thank you, Duncan.
413
00:25:15.708 --> 00:25:25.811
So from telling the story to making it happen, we've got your third song, which is, I saw it when you texted it through to me and it was Diesel, which is just a classic.
414
00:25:25.831 --> 00:25:27.452
How could you not choose a Diesel song?
415
00:25:27.472 --> 00:25:27.812
Come on.
416
00:25:27.952 --> 00:25:28.612
It was brilliant.
417
00:25:28.692 --> 00:25:31.473
I just went, oh, Peter, you continue to rise.
418
00:25:31.493 --> 00:25:34.594
15 feet of snow.
419
00:25:35.034 --> 00:25:35.534
Why this one?
420
00:25:36.684 --> 00:25:40.726
Look, I actually loved Diesel in the 90s.
421
00:25:40.846 --> 00:25:45.128
You know, I was in my teenage years in the 90s.
422
00:25:45.788 --> 00:25:49.230
That was, yeah, just loved his songs.
423
00:25:49.590 --> 00:25:51.491
I actually interviewed him when I was a journo.
424
00:25:51.511 --> 00:25:52.071
Oh, did you?
425
00:25:52.351 --> 00:25:53.132
Yep, yep.
426
00:25:53.232 --> 00:25:53.832
What was that like?
427
00:25:53.992 --> 00:25:56.793
He was doing the, I think he was doing the clubs back then.
428
00:25:58.094 --> 00:26:01.636
And he came to, oh, it might have been...
429
00:26:02.898 --> 00:26:04.539
Parramatta Leagues or something like that.
430
00:26:04.780 --> 00:26:05.400
I think it was.
431
00:26:06.401 --> 00:26:12.066
Oh, he was, yeah, very, very easy to interview, very open, very, very intelligent.
432
00:26:14.268 --> 00:26:25.118
But I went to see him in concert recently after many, many years, and I hadn't listened to a Diesel song for many years, so it's renewed my love of the songs.
433
00:26:25.738 --> 00:26:26.138
That's amazing.
434
00:26:26.159 --> 00:26:28.921
And I just, I really love this song because I like the,
435
00:26:29.780 --> 00:26:37.904
the beginning of the sun, you know, and then, yeah, it's about loving someone and going through so much and you're supporting and loving someone.
436
00:26:37.944 --> 00:26:39.724
I think everybody wants to be loved, right?
437
00:26:39.804 --> 00:26:45.507
So that's another reason I really love this song, but it's very warming, this song.
438
00:26:46.547 --> 00:26:51.790
This is 15 Feet of Snow, Diesel, on Radio Northern Beaches, 88.7, 90.3.
439
00:26:55.071 --> 00:26:58.293
So you've been a campaign policy manager, an electorate officer,
440
00:27:00.709 --> 00:27:05.850
What does the person just behind the representative actually do all day that no one sees?
441
00:27:08.111 --> 00:27:09.371
We run around a lot.
442
00:27:10.952 --> 00:27:11.872
We're busy, obviously.
443
00:27:13.532 --> 00:27:17.353
I, yeah, we, it's, again, the same foundation.
444
00:27:17.433 --> 00:27:20.714
We, we, it starts off with listening.
445
00:27:21.735 --> 00:27:23.415
It starts off with listening.
446
00:27:25.130 --> 00:27:28.071
It's problem solving, a lot of it is problem solving.
447
00:27:29.671 --> 00:27:43.354
It's collaborating with our constituents and it's, yeah, developing policy based on our listening and what else constituents, you know, want us to advocate for.
448
00:27:44.555 --> 00:27:47.555
And, you know, there's a lot to it.
449
00:27:47.595 --> 00:27:49.536
There's a lot, things change in a day.
450
00:27:52.819 --> 00:27:54.221
What can change in a day?
451
00:27:54.301 --> 00:28:04.774
For someone who's there, no idea about what the inner workings of most of us, of a day in a political office or in Canberra, can you paint the picture of?
452
00:28:06.460 --> 00:28:11.542
Well, for example, say you've been advocating on an issue for a long time.
453
00:28:13.322 --> 00:28:14.723
It happened just this week, actually.
454
00:28:16.023 --> 00:28:27.326
We've had a lot of young students who are studying allied health, physiotherapy, psychology, occupational therapy, those sort of things.
455
00:28:28.427 --> 00:28:36.129
And we've been advocating, you know, they've been coming to us and saying, you know, it's hard for them when they have to do placements because they've got jobs in...
456
00:28:36.522 --> 00:28:40.325
where they live, but then they have to do regional placements, some of them, and there's thousands of hours.
457
00:28:41.225 --> 00:28:55.156
And there is a paid payment scheme, the federal government scheme, and teachers, social workers and nurses get it, but they were saying, look, we need it too.
458
00:28:55.236 --> 00:28:57.558
This is where the future health work goes.
459
00:28:58.458 --> 00:29:04.062
And this week it was announced by the government that they are extending it to 10 allied health.
460
00:29:06.474 --> 00:29:14.039
medical students obviously would like it extended to them, but that's an example where all of a sudden something's announced and it's, you know, you've got to jump on it straight away.
461
00:29:14.260 --> 00:29:15.020
Yeah.
462
00:29:15.280 --> 00:29:26.748
It could be any type of issue or an announcement or, you know, during COVID, for example, that was a really, that's a huge illustration of how things can change daily.
463
00:29:27.329 --> 00:29:34.914
There were, you know, the government was obviously trying to support the community and there was announcement after announcement daily.
464
00:29:35.705 --> 00:29:41.106
on support programs, funding programs to support businesses, you know, households.
465
00:29:41.166 --> 00:29:46.007
And you've got to understand that to be able to let your consistency know and let the community know.
466
00:29:46.708 --> 00:29:50.849
And, yeah, that was, yeah, that's another example.
467
00:29:51.249 --> 00:29:51.649
It's a lot.
468
00:29:51.689 --> 00:29:57.090
But it's, you know, I've always worked in fast-paced environments.
469
00:29:57.110 --> 00:29:57.330
Yeah.
470
00:29:57.757 --> 00:30:00.478
So that's the kind of work I really love to do.
471
00:30:01.018 --> 00:30:02.999
It keeps my, like, it keeps the adrenaline up.
472
00:30:03.199 --> 00:30:03.979
You're on your toes.
473
00:30:03.999 --> 00:30:04.639
Let's do this.
474
00:30:04.719 --> 00:30:06.200
Like, you know, it's good.
475
00:30:06.260 --> 00:30:09.521
It's the team all together and we're all working for the same thing.
476
00:30:09.541 --> 00:30:10.101
And it's great.
477
00:30:10.121 --> 00:30:13.282
So I can imagine election night must be interesting.
478
00:30:13.442 --> 00:30:22.205
So like from the wings and not the politics, just the room, where are you standing and what's in your hand?
479
00:30:23.448 --> 00:30:24.008
My phone.
480
00:30:25.570 --> 00:30:26.410
Come on, Duncan.
481
00:30:26.430 --> 00:30:27.751
Your numerous phones.
482
00:30:28.312 --> 00:30:29.193
Yeah, I've got two today.
483
00:30:30.293 --> 00:30:31.314
My phone's in my hand.
484
00:30:33.256 --> 00:30:45.305
And I'm probably, well, last election night I was sitting down at a table with the team in a huge room with mainly volunteers.
485
00:30:45.766 --> 00:30:46.767
So the community again.
486
00:30:47.207 --> 00:30:47.647
Community.
487
00:30:49.369 --> 00:30:50.830
Yeah, waiting for the announcement.
488
00:30:50.870 --> 00:30:52.151
Watching the TV live and...
489
00:30:53.115 --> 00:30:55.456
Yeah, finding out the result.
490
00:30:56.516 --> 00:30:57.237
What's that like?
491
00:30:58.357 --> 00:31:03.760
What's, like, in a room at that point in time, what is it really like?
492
00:31:03.780 --> 00:31:04.600
Like, what's the feeling?
493
00:31:05.620 --> 00:31:07.161
It's a great, great feeling.
494
00:31:07.181 --> 00:31:07.861
It's a great vibe.
495
00:31:07.921 --> 00:31:13.024
Even before you find out, everyone, you know, we're all working together again.
496
00:31:14.104 --> 00:31:15.104
We've collaborated.
497
00:31:15.765 --> 00:31:18.206
We've worked as hard as we put every effort in.
498
00:31:18.786 --> 00:31:20.927
We've, you know, worked everything.
499
00:31:22.117 --> 00:31:24.099
beyond to achieve something.
500
00:31:24.959 --> 00:31:26.120
And so we're all feeling great.
501
00:31:26.140 --> 00:31:39.208
We're all feeling – it's a hard slog, obviously, campaigns, but we've all given it all we've got so we're sort of at the point where we can celebrate and find out the result.
502
00:31:39.289 --> 00:31:48.254
It's a great, great room to be in that night and hope that what you've been able to, I guess –
503
00:31:49.609 --> 00:31:55.554
you know, in terms of the community and what they want to represent that, to get over the line to be able to action it.
504
00:31:56.034 --> 00:31:56.294
Yeah.
505
00:31:57.115 --> 00:31:57.675
That's the hope.
506
00:31:57.935 --> 00:31:58.616
So you're nervous.
507
00:31:59.617 --> 00:32:02.799
There's nervousness, nervous energy, but yeah.
508
00:32:02.899 --> 00:32:04.480
What do you do to protect yourself?
509
00:32:04.520 --> 00:32:06.061
Because obviously there's a lot of work.
510
00:32:06.282 --> 00:32:11.566
Obviously we've been discussing the policy and the change and it's fantastic.
511
00:32:11.586 --> 00:32:18.451
So like how do you protect yourself and make sure that you're not burnt out and you're looking after Peter Garrett?
512
00:32:19.959 --> 00:32:21.600
Uh, probably don't do it enough actually.
513
00:32:21.620 --> 00:32:22.100
Don't eat?
514
00:32:22.140 --> 00:32:22.420
Yeah, okay.
515
00:32:23.321 --> 00:32:26.882
And, uh, you do have to take time out and just be.
516
00:32:27.302 --> 00:32:27.442
Mm.
517
00:32:28.403 --> 00:32:32.804
And listen to music that makes you feel good.
518
00:32:33.064 --> 00:32:33.225
Mm.
519
00:32:33.725 --> 00:32:44.089
Um, you know, obviously focus on, you know, having enough sleep, just being with your kids and, you know, my, obviously my job's busy, but.
520
00:32:45.291 --> 00:32:48.094
There are many – most jobs have high pressures.
521
00:32:49.515 --> 00:33:00.187
You know, there's – you know, like, just – every job is valued depending what the job is in different ways.
522
00:33:00.247 --> 00:33:00.748
Nurses.
523
00:33:01.472 --> 00:33:27.917
met paramedics doctors um you know everyone has different pressures and in their jobs and but it is important to look after yourself to be able to go back and obviously do it the next day and do what hopefully you love um to do but yeah my kids probably say we i don't see you enough you're always at work yeah no i appreciate that and like what what does the person that everyone depends on give you
524
00:33:31.020 --> 00:33:31.922
They give me support.
525
00:33:32.363 --> 00:33:33.164
They give me love.
526
00:33:33.244 --> 00:33:34.106
They give me care.
527
00:33:35.349 --> 00:33:40.158
They, you know, yeah, they would probably be the three things.
528
00:33:40.298 --> 00:33:40.499
Yeah.
529
00:33:40.679 --> 00:33:41.380
In different ways.
530
00:33:43.744 --> 00:33:51.208
encouragement, I don't know, come over and just watch a movie together and we're just going to chill.
531
00:33:51.888 --> 00:33:53.049
Just be there.
532
00:33:53.209 --> 00:33:54.609
Just be there in different ways.
533
00:33:55.370 --> 00:34:05.515
I think it's important for someone listening to who are going through their own things and if life's tough or works, just surround yourself with people that love you.
534
00:34:05.835 --> 00:34:06.936
Yes.
535
00:34:07.656 --> 00:34:08.837
And if you can't find people –
536
00:34:10.133 --> 00:34:17.999
in a vicinity, whether it's family or friends, that there are other organisations out there that can help you if you're feeling in a dark moment or you're feeling burnt out or whatever it might be.
537
00:34:18.280 --> 00:34:19.541
Yeah, yeah, that's true.
538
00:34:19.941 --> 00:34:22.984
As long – look, I – it's interesting.
539
00:34:23.504 --> 00:34:30.009
I interviewed years ago when I was a journo, Father Chris Riley, and –
540
00:34:32.081 --> 00:34:36.164
his organisation that supports youth, youth officers off the streets.
541
00:34:37.364 --> 00:34:48.210
And I said, you know, a lot of the youth that he was dealing with, you know, had disconnected with school or maybe the home environment.
542
00:34:48.310 --> 00:34:54.013
And I said, what do you, you know, how do you approach, what's your program like?
543
00:34:54.053 --> 00:34:55.114
And we're talking about what they do.
544
00:34:55.134 --> 00:35:00.657
But he said the one thing was that they needed that one person
545
00:35:01.329 --> 00:35:06.312
to be there for them and believe in them 100%.
546
00:35:06.332 --> 00:35:14.676
So all it takes sometimes is just that one person to be there for you and to support you and believe in you and encourage you.
547
00:35:15.397 --> 00:35:17.278
And everybody needs that.
548
00:35:17.398 --> 00:35:19.759
Yeah, I do.
549
00:35:19.779 --> 00:35:21.720
So honest question and take your time with it.
550
00:35:22.261 --> 00:35:23.581
Haven't all of these been honest?
551
00:35:24.802 --> 00:35:25.803
Yes, yes, they have.
552
00:35:26.443 --> 00:35:28.084
So the seat just out of the frame.
553
00:35:29.423 --> 00:35:34.526
Did you choose it because it's where you're most useful or because it's where you feel safest?
554
00:35:36.807 --> 00:35:41.009
I feel it's the right seat for me.
555
00:35:43.370 --> 00:35:49.613
I, I, you know, I don't, I didn't, I don't think I've consciously chosen it to be safe.
556
00:35:50.634 --> 00:35:55.976
Um, I, I, I do love what I do.
557
00:35:56.096 --> 00:35:57.157
I get the privilege of
558
00:35:58.410 --> 00:36:08.318
delving into people's lives every single day, which I think I said before, you know, when I was a journo, or speaking, you know, learning about people's lives.
559
00:36:08.378 --> 00:36:09.179
It's the same thing.
560
00:36:11.060 --> 00:36:14.683
So it's not really about me, really.
561
00:36:14.863 --> 00:36:16.484
I know you asked the question, but...
562
00:36:17.455 --> 00:36:20.478
Yeah, I don't really see it that way.
563
00:36:20.879 --> 00:36:23.041
You've answered the question beautifully, Peter.
564
00:36:23.061 --> 00:36:23.462
Okay.
565
00:36:23.542 --> 00:36:25.103
There's no right or wrong here.
566
00:36:25.304 --> 00:36:28.988
It's how it makes you feel, which is what it's all about.
567
00:36:30.289 --> 00:36:30.469
Okay.
568
00:36:30.770 --> 00:36:35.074
So our next song is Never Tear Us Apart by In Excess.
569
00:36:35.995 --> 00:36:36.516
Classic.
570
00:36:36.656 --> 00:36:38.138
Love, love, love, love, love.
571
00:36:38.178 --> 00:36:38.338
Yep.
572
00:36:40.565 --> 00:36:43.506
Again, another moment in time, moment.
573
00:36:45.327 --> 00:36:52.469
So my ex is still a huge U2 fan.
574
00:36:54.109 --> 00:36:54.569
Obsessive.
575
00:36:55.830 --> 00:36:57.490
Has been to so many concerts.
576
00:36:57.550 --> 00:36:57.830
All right.
577
00:36:58.050 --> 00:36:58.850
Yeah, just crazy.
578
00:37:00.091 --> 00:37:04.332
And we were at the U2 concert SFS and...
579
00:37:05.560 --> 00:37:08.262
Um, the, just a few months after.
580
00:37:08.462 --> 00:37:10.844
Back in 95 or six.
581
00:37:10.904 --> 00:37:11.324
Yeah.
582
00:37:11.364 --> 00:37:11.645
Yep.
583
00:37:11.685 --> 00:37:11.945
Right.
584
00:37:12.505 --> 00:37:12.865
Yes.
585
00:37:13.005 --> 00:37:14.747
I told you nineties were my years.
586
00:37:14.787 --> 00:37:15.487
No, I was there.
587
00:37:15.507 --> 00:37:16.148
I was there too.
588
00:37:16.268 --> 00:37:16.628
Oh wait.
589
00:37:16.688 --> 00:37:17.128
Yeah.
590
00:37:17.148 --> 00:37:17.389
Okay.
591
00:37:17.429 --> 00:37:17.809
Well, yeah.
592
00:37:17.829 --> 00:37:18.249
Zerupa.
593
00:37:18.730 --> 00:37:19.270
Yeah.
594
00:37:19.290 --> 00:37:19.930
Was it Zerupa?
595
00:37:20.451 --> 00:37:21.532
No, I don't think so.
596
00:37:22.292 --> 00:37:23.473
Oh, I'll have to ask Tyson.
597
00:37:23.993 --> 00:37:26.955
Um, he'll be like, how do you not know that?
598
00:37:28.476 --> 00:37:34.681
Um, and Michael Hutchinson passed away a few months before and he's,
599
00:37:35.424 --> 00:37:37.585
There was a tribute.
600
00:37:37.745 --> 00:37:39.365
Bonner obviously spoke dearly about him.
601
00:37:39.445 --> 00:37:49.568
And then at the end of the concert, they played Never Tear Us Apart as, you know, everybody was walking out, although most of us stayed and listened to the song.
602
00:37:50.168 --> 00:37:51.228
I don't know if you remember, Duncan.
603
00:37:52.429 --> 00:37:55.129
But, yeah, and, yeah, I love that song.
604
00:37:55.189 --> 00:37:56.090
Not because it's because of that.
605
00:37:56.330 --> 00:37:57.630
It just is a beautiful song.
606
00:37:58.330 --> 00:37:59.171
It is a beautiful song.
607
00:37:59.271 --> 00:37:59.411
Peter.
608
00:38:03.952 --> 00:38:04.072
Peter.
609
00:38:04.092 --> 00:38:04.292
Peter.
610
00:38:05.733 --> 00:38:08.956
We haven't got long to go in our hour, which I know.
611
00:38:09.156 --> 00:38:18.504
Well, just so you know, everyone knows that actually Peter was here on time and then we spent an hour just having a chat before we actually started having our chat.
612
00:38:19.825 --> 00:38:21.006
I'm never on time.
613
00:38:21.467 --> 00:38:22.648
So you are so lucky.
614
00:38:22.888 --> 00:38:23.949
I love it.
615
00:38:24.590 --> 00:38:24.950
I love it.
616
00:38:25.090 --> 00:38:26.111
I got Peter on time.
617
00:38:26.211 --> 00:38:27.032
That's fantastic.
618
00:38:27.692 --> 00:38:32.997
Beyond any politics, what have you learned about what it actually takes to help a community?
619
00:38:37.585 --> 00:38:43.169
be prepared to keep going until you achieve what you want to achieve.
620
00:38:44.711 --> 00:39:06.247
It's about relationships and communicating and collaboration with, I think it's, it's really important to, again, it comes back to listening and knowing exactly what the goal is and what needs to be achieved and how any change needs to happen, how it's going to impact people, their daily lives.
621
00:39:06.828 --> 00:39:07.128
So,
622
00:39:09.402 --> 00:39:21.645
Yeah, it's about listening and collaborating again and being prepared to go that extra mile and keep going until you achieve, you know, an outcome that's going to be the outcome that we need.
623
00:39:23.085 --> 00:39:32.507
And listen to people's different perspectives and stories and experiences because you're going to get a better outcome that way, I think.
624
00:39:32.987 --> 00:39:35.648
So you could have stayed the storyteller with your own byline.
625
00:39:36.248 --> 00:39:36.448
Mm-hmm.
626
00:39:37.722 --> 00:39:39.904
Do you ever miss being the one whose name is on it?
627
00:39:41.726 --> 00:39:46.870
The first time I ever read my byline and it was published, it was exciting.
628
00:39:47.171 --> 00:39:49.593
It was like, oh, my God, that's my name.
629
00:39:49.613 --> 00:39:52.756
Oh, it was a great feeling.
630
00:39:52.796 --> 00:39:53.617
I'm not going to lie.
631
00:39:55.038 --> 00:39:57.220
But nah, not at all.
632
00:39:57.380 --> 00:39:57.800
Not at all?
633
00:39:58.301 --> 00:39:59.022
Not at all.
634
00:39:59.822 --> 00:40:00.943
Not one little bit.
635
00:40:01.264 --> 00:40:02.545
No, not at all.
636
00:40:03.040 --> 00:40:05.921
Is it just because it's like, hey, you've done it.
637
00:40:06.501 --> 00:40:10.763
It was exciting at the time and now your purpose is much larger, I guess.
638
00:40:11.623 --> 00:40:12.643
Oh, I guess I'm older.
639
00:40:13.423 --> 00:40:13.964
More mature.
640
00:40:15.464 --> 00:40:15.704
Yeah.
641
00:40:16.645 --> 00:40:17.425
Thanks, Duncan.
642
00:40:17.685 --> 00:40:18.845
That's a nice way to say it.
643
00:40:20.786 --> 00:40:29.649
And, yeah, when you're young, you're, you know, it was my second proper job.
644
00:40:30.309 --> 00:40:32.770
So, obviously, you're pushing yourself to –
645
00:40:34.003 --> 00:40:36.466
I guess be seen and recognized.
646
00:40:36.566 --> 00:40:42.892
So, you know, you can achieve what you want to achieve, um, in terms of your career side of things.
647
00:40:43.333 --> 00:40:52.002
And yeah, it's just, um, yeah, I, I guess, yeah, I, I probably take it for granted that I did that now, but,
648
00:40:52.663 --> 00:40:56.926
Yeah, it's not, it's my perspective, I guess, changed from back then maybe.
649
00:40:57.006 --> 00:40:57.406
I don't know.
650
00:40:57.606 --> 00:40:57.927
Yeah.
651
00:40:58.127 --> 00:41:00.308
No, that's, I mean, that's growth, isn't it?
652
00:41:00.328 --> 00:41:01.489
That's what we call growth, is it?
653
00:41:01.709 --> 00:41:03.370
Yes, that is growth.
654
00:41:03.530 --> 00:41:04.311
Maybe.
655
00:41:04.431 --> 00:41:12.476
But yeah, it's just, yeah, it's just not something that I, yeah, it's not a thing I want to, I don't need a byline.
656
00:41:12.997 --> 00:41:14.077
Does your voice change?
657
00:41:14.097 --> 00:41:17.640
Because you spend your days giving other people the words.
658
00:41:18.580 --> 00:41:19.821
Does that, what happens to your own voice?
659
00:41:19.841 --> 00:41:20.642
Does that change at all?
660
00:41:22.673 --> 00:41:27.195
Uh, it's, well, it depends who you're talking to, I guess.
661
00:41:28.315 --> 00:41:30.876
Um, I mean, I don't, I don't think your values ever change.
662
00:41:30.896 --> 00:41:45.901
Um, inherently I'm still, I still have the same voice that I've always had in terms of, um, my approach to things and I've learned it obviously a lot of along the way, but, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um,
663
00:41:46.889 --> 00:41:55.414
Yes, of course, your ideas change and how you speak might change because you learn through experience.
664
00:41:56.154 --> 00:42:07.480
But inherently, me as a person, if you're talking about the voice in terms of me as an inherent person, my values has probably only strengthened my values, I think.
665
00:42:08.821 --> 00:42:15.245
But, yeah, it depends how you take that definition of voice, what you're –
666
00:42:16.586 --> 00:42:20.387
Where did your value system sort of come from?
667
00:42:20.687 --> 00:42:35.829
Again, it goes probably with the way I was brought up and the challenges I faced, I guess, even though unconsciously I didn't really think about it at the time because, as I said initially, you know, I could do anything.
668
00:42:35.849 --> 00:42:44.371
I probably couldn't have been a champion tennis player, but I could do anything and achieve anything if I put my mind to it.
669
00:42:44.651 --> 00:42:45.311
Yeah.
670
00:42:45.932 --> 00:42:47.192
put the effort in, you know?
671
00:42:47.512 --> 00:42:55.134
Is there something that is still on the horizon of something that you'd like to achieve, like in career or different career perhaps at some point?
672
00:42:55.894 --> 00:42:56.854
Or is this your calling?
673
00:42:56.954 --> 00:42:57.654
I'm too tired Duncan.
674
00:42:57.674 --> 00:42:58.634
You're too tired.
675
00:42:59.294 --> 00:43:02.595
I'm too tired Duncan to think about anything like that.
676
00:43:02.615 --> 00:43:03.415
What are you talking about?
677
00:43:04.175 --> 00:43:04.775
Oh, no.
678
00:43:05.155 --> 00:43:06.376
The answer is no, no.
679
00:43:07.256 --> 00:43:12.897
No, I just, no, I'm enjoying what I, I really do love what I do is probably the answer.
680
00:43:13.077 --> 00:43:13.917
And not a lot of people can...
681
00:43:14.548 --> 00:43:17.930
Well, there's a lot of people that can say that, but it's lovely to hear.
682
00:43:17.950 --> 00:43:18.050
Yeah.
683
00:43:18.710 --> 00:43:19.491
That's genuine.
684
00:43:19.551 --> 00:43:21.432
You know, it's a genuine, you can tell.
685
00:43:21.812 --> 00:43:22.352
Yeah, yeah.
686
00:43:22.532 --> 00:43:30.897
And yeah, I do think I'm, yeah, I'm in a really lucky position that I do do something that I love to do.
687
00:43:31.397 --> 00:43:32.658
And I have a passion for it.
688
00:43:32.678 --> 00:43:34.139
You clearly do.
689
00:43:34.199 --> 00:43:34.679
I know that.
690
00:43:34.759 --> 00:43:35.059
Yeah.
691
00:43:35.199 --> 00:43:44.124
If you have a passion for something, it's going to be, even though there are challenges with every single job, different challenges, if you've got a passion for it, I think it's going to be a passion for it.
692
00:43:44.930 --> 00:43:49.592
the challenges within the job are a little easier to keep overcoming and keep pushing.
693
00:43:50.772 --> 00:43:54.293
So yeah, I'm, I'm lucky that I do, um, love what I do.
694
00:43:55.334 --> 00:43:59.355
So after all these years around words, what do you still believe words can do?
695
00:43:59.375 --> 00:44:06.458
Uh, words can change, you know, the world.
696
00:44:07.358 --> 00:44:07.978
They really can.
697
00:44:08.799 --> 00:44:09.979
Everything comes to words.
698
00:44:11.563 --> 00:44:17.584
And again, relationships and talking to people and listening and working together.
699
00:44:18.584 --> 00:44:21.205
And yeah, I do really believe that.
700
00:44:21.485 --> 00:44:26.706
Without words, I don't think you could achieve as much as you could.
701
00:44:27.126 --> 00:44:35.227
And be that, you know, different types or different languages or sign language.
702
00:44:35.447 --> 00:44:38.448
I'm not talking about the written word here or the spoken word.
703
00:44:39.728 --> 00:44:40.468
But it's essential.
704
00:44:40.895 --> 00:44:43.497
Because you're very passionate about what you do.
705
00:44:43.938 --> 00:44:44.198
Yeah.
706
00:44:44.638 --> 00:44:49.482
And the words that you write and the change that you're looking to help with your community.
707
00:44:50.123 --> 00:44:50.383
I am.
708
00:44:51.144 --> 00:45:02.053
I am because, again, it goes back to, I guess, that value of equality and I don't think, I don't like.
709
00:45:02.403 --> 00:45:03.244
you know, that's not fair.
710
00:45:03.444 --> 00:45:05.425
I don't like things that aren't fair, you know.
711
00:45:06.005 --> 00:45:07.046
I'm like, that's not right.
712
00:45:07.086 --> 00:45:07.887
That's not on.
713
00:45:07.987 --> 00:45:08.647
Let's change.
714
00:45:08.707 --> 00:45:10.068
Let's get together.
715
00:45:10.368 --> 00:45:11.169
Work in it.
716
00:45:11.529 --> 00:45:14.331
I'm a problem solver, I guess.
717
00:45:15.091 --> 00:45:15.812
That's a big thing.
718
00:45:15.872 --> 00:45:20.735
I'm a huge, like, give me a problem and I'll be like, right, what do we do?
719
00:45:21.080 --> 00:45:21.941
I've got a few for you.
720
00:45:24.963 --> 00:45:25.284
Okay.
721
00:45:25.324 --> 00:45:27.986
I'll send you the list of my problems later.
722
00:45:28.546 --> 00:45:30.048
Yeah, we'll collaborate.
723
00:45:30.068 --> 00:45:30.708
We'll collaborate.
724
00:45:31.649 --> 00:45:33.871
So we've got one more song from Peter before we finish.
725
00:45:34.471 --> 00:45:36.853
This is Elvis Presley's If I Can Dream.
726
00:45:36.953 --> 00:45:38.535
So why this one?
727
00:45:41.657 --> 00:45:46.902
A lot of Elvis was played in my household when I was growing up.
728
00:45:46.922 --> 00:45:48.043
My parents loved Elvis.
729
00:45:49.330 --> 00:46:09.813
and my dad especially and he used to love this song um this song wasn't i don't i'm not sure how many songs wrote else wrote but this one was written for him um not long after the assassination of martin luther king i don't know if you know the history of the song
730
00:46:10.227 --> 00:46:11.548
No, I don't.
731
00:46:12.188 --> 00:46:17.671
And so, yeah, he really loved it.
732
00:46:17.711 --> 00:46:19.032
He felt it through my dad.
733
00:46:19.092 --> 00:46:21.293
He felt it through his bones.
734
00:46:21.794 --> 00:46:26.016
I can still see him now, like, dancing around the room, singing the song.
735
00:46:26.296 --> 00:46:31.899
And, yeah, it's just it gives me, again, that warmth in my heart because it's my dad.
736
00:46:31.919 --> 00:46:33.280
It's my dad.
737
00:46:38.962 --> 00:46:42.623
You're on Radio Northern Beaches, 88.7, 90.3.
738
00:46:43.464 --> 00:46:49.266
And I have had the wonderful pleasure of having Peter Garrett in here this afternoon.
739
00:46:49.286 --> 00:46:49.846
She's freezing.
740
00:46:49.866 --> 00:46:51.227
She's currently cold.
741
00:46:51.247 --> 00:46:51.727
She's cold.
742
00:46:51.987 --> 00:46:52.907
The sun's gone down.
743
00:46:52.947 --> 00:46:53.888
The sun's gone down.
744
00:46:54.508 --> 00:46:54.688
Yeah.
745
00:46:54.948 --> 00:47:01.170
But so there's someone listening right now who does the unseen work, probably in their own world.
746
00:47:03.771 --> 00:47:06.152
The one who makes it all happen and never gets the credit.
747
00:47:07.073 --> 00:47:08.133
What do you want to say to them?
748
00:47:10.633 --> 00:47:12.154
You're doing a great job.
749
00:47:13.414 --> 00:47:15.015
But I think you are seen.
750
00:47:16.035 --> 00:47:29.081
And it maybe is not a conscious sort of recognition that maybe you get every day and you're not in the public eye or you're not at the meeting, you know, the team, whatever meeting or the presentation.
751
00:47:29.442 --> 00:47:32.683
I think please know you are seen.
752
00:47:33.884 --> 00:47:35.164
Someone is always listening.
753
00:47:38.632 --> 00:47:51.575
Yeah, I do believe that, whether it's your co-workers, your boss, your partner, your children, you are seen.
754
00:47:51.955 --> 00:47:54.156
Don't think you're not at all.
755
00:47:56.856 --> 00:47:57.716
It's a beautiful answer.
756
00:47:58.337 --> 00:47:58.597
Thank you.
757
00:47:58.617 --> 00:48:00.197
I truly do believe that.
758
00:48:01.480 --> 00:48:07.403
And there's a young person listening who loves words and people but isn't sure there's a place for both.
759
00:48:08.183 --> 00:48:09.123
What would you tell them?
760
00:48:11.784 --> 00:48:14.085
They cannot survive without each other.
761
00:48:15.746 --> 00:48:25.030
They're symbiotic and words and people is what makes change.
762
00:48:27.191 --> 00:48:29.472
It's about how you utilise the words
763
00:48:31.238 --> 00:48:33.980
it would be the most important thing.
764
00:48:35.941 --> 00:48:36.961
Think about what you say.
765
00:48:37.021 --> 00:48:38.822
Think about other people's words.
766
00:48:40.483 --> 00:48:44.745
Yeah, they have to survive together.
767
00:48:45.325 --> 00:48:47.166
You must have both would be my answer.
768
00:48:48.166 --> 00:48:52.908
The young journalist filing her first story who had no idea where words would take her.
769
00:48:53.289 --> 00:48:56.330
If you could sit beside her now, what would you tell her?
770
00:49:01.189 --> 00:49:18.898
I would probably say, yeah, believe in yourself and I'd say, you know, don't doubt yourself.
771
00:49:21.119 --> 00:49:26.662
But also, it's a hard one to answer because...
772
00:49:28.401 --> 00:49:31.042
You want to reflect on everything you've done, how you...
773
00:49:31.282 --> 00:49:31.702
I know.
774
00:49:31.962 --> 00:49:36.243
And as I said, I took weeks to get back five songs to you.
775
00:49:36.383 --> 00:49:40.124
So this is a year-long answer for me.
776
00:49:42.144 --> 00:49:50.406
But yeah, believe in yourself and have the courage to achieve what you want to achieve.
777
00:49:50.786 --> 00:49:53.947
Peter Garrett, thank you for trusting me with all of that.
778
00:49:55.448 --> 00:50:04.291
You won't find Peter on a billboard, and she would like to keep it that way, but the work is all around you if you live on the beaches and across Australia.
779
00:50:06.932 --> 00:50:12.094
We've found out today that it really is about community, with everything that Peter has done.
780
00:50:13.374 --> 00:50:17.775
And even being here today on our little community radio station, it all weaves in.
781
00:50:20.056 --> 00:50:22.397
Be With Duncan doesn't just tell other people's stories.
782
00:50:23.257 --> 00:50:24.878
It changes the way you see your own.
783
00:50:26.170 --> 00:50:30.295
If today's conversation found you in your own hard chapter, pass it on to someone who needs it.
784
00:50:31.116 --> 00:50:35.783
And wherever this finds you, whatever you're carrying, we're thinking of you and we love you.
785
00:50:35.803 --> 00:50:36.844
I'm Duncan.
786
00:50:37.605 --> 00:50:38.306
Thanks for listening.
787
00:50:39.167 --> 00:50:39.948
Look after each other.