ENVIRONMENT MINISTER GARRETT'S TRIP TO WASHINGTON

UNCLAS CANBERRA 000824 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/ANP, OES/EGC, OES/OA PHELPS COMMERCE PLEASE PASS NOAA, WHITE HOUSE FOR CEQ E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV KGHG EFIS PGOV AS SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENT MINISTER GARRETT'S TRIP TO WASHINGTON REF: A. CANBERRA 744 ¶B. CANBERRA 574 ¶C. CANBERRA 732 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Australian Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts Peter Garrett will visit Washington, DC from 8-11 September 2009. Though the primary reason for the visit is the inauguration of a major Australian indigenous art exhibit, Garrett also plans to raise whaling, conservation, science cooperation, energy efficiency, and repatriation of indigenous remains. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Garrett's Chief of Staff David Williams told Deputy Econcouns the trip's main purpose is for Garrett, former lead singer of the iconic Australian rock group "Midnight Oil," to open the "Culture Warriors" exhibition at the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center. Econoff spoke with Williams on 7 September about the trip's agenda. Williams said Garrett's main focus in other meetings will be whaling (ref. A) and the Coral Triangle Initiative, Antarctic science co-operation (ref. B),energy efficiency and repatriation of indigenous remains. He will also meet with representatives of the arts and motion picture groups. ¶3. (SBU) Garrett will meet Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero and plans to raise the issue of whaling, though, according to Williams, from a point of view that is "conscious of the lesser priority that the issue poses for the US," but aware of the critical engagement opportunity on whaling following the Japanese elections. Another issue Garrett plans to raise with the Under Secretary is the US-Australia partnership within the Coral Triangle Initiative. Other scheduled meetings follow (issues to be raised in parenthesis): Environmental Protection Agency Director Lisa Jackson (waste policy, whales, climate change and biodiversity); Department of Energy (energy efficiency and renewable energy),Secretary of the Smithsonian (repatriation of Australian indigenous remains),and the Director of the National Science Foundation. Other unconfirmed but possible meetings include: Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley; Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere Monica Medina; and the office of the US Whaling Commissioner. Future October Trip In The Works -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Williams' office is also planning a second US trip for Minister Garrett, to take place 12-18 October and centered around an Australian Film Industry gathering in Los Angeles. He said the substantive agenda outside the gathering would focus on whaling, with possible side trips to Washington, DC and perhaps Boulder, Colorado, where, according to Williams, "there are some innovative developments taking place in the area of energy efficiency."