Is it ethical to sell out on your values in order to advance your career or achieve another ‘grander’ objective? Peter Garret was a successful musician and activist when he entered politics. After standing for an activist party many years ago, Garret decided to enter federal parliament as a Labor member. He subsequently joined the […]

Is it ethical to sell out on your values in order to advance your career or achieve another ‘grander’ objective? Peter Garret was a successful musician and activist when he entered politics. After standing for an activist party many years ago, Garret decided to enter federal parliament as a Labor member. He subsequently joined the shadow cabinet and then the cabinet of the Rudd and Gillard governments. In order to take this journey, Garret had to transition from being an activist to a politician. He had to change his approach. At the same time, in order to join the cabinet, he has to quell his more ‘radical’ environmental views and embrace the party line. In a sense, in order to achieve the greater goal of winning government and taking a senior position Garret has to ‘sell out’ on his more ‘extreme’ views, or at least, the views that were inconsistent…