IE problem with XML

IE problem with XML

Can someone please help me with this issue?

I am using xml served from a php script to load markers onto my google map. It work beautifully in Firefox but the code fails on IE :

function initialize_all_venues() {

if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) {
   var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("map"));
   map.setCenter(new GLatLng(51.50002, -0.12618), 12);
   map.setUIToDefault();
}

$.get("sites/all/themes/zen/zen/template_ajax.php",{},function(xml){        
      // Run the function for each venue tag in the XML file
      $('venue',xml).each(function() {
         //alert('checking : ');
         VenueNid = $(this).find("nid").text();
         venueName = $(this).find("name").text();
         venueLong = $(this).find("long").text();
         venueLat = $(this).find("lat").text();

         var point = new GLatLng(venueLat, venueLong);
         var marker ;//= new Array();
         marker   =   new GMarker(point);
         map.addOverlay(marker);

         setMarkerDetails(marker, venueName, base_url+'/node/'+VenueNid);
      });
   });
}

function setMarkerDetails(marker, stuff, nid){
   GEvent.addListener(marker, "click", function() {
       marker.openInfoWindowHtml( "<a href='"+nid+"' target='_blank'>"+stuff+"</a>" );
       //marker.openInfoWindowHtml( "testing" );
     }
   );
}


The code within the $('venue',xml).each(function() loop does not fire so the test alert in there doesn't work along with all the other code.