'Sorry' not such a hard word for Peter Beattie to say
Commonwealth Games organising committee chief Peter Beattie has made an artform of apologising, saying sorry and moving on.
Mr Beattie’s is self-declared media tart with a time-tested strategy to flash a smile, be up-front, take responsibility and apologise when things go wrong.
That approach to media, which served him to various degrees of success during his political career, remains the same in 2018.
"Notwithstanding the understandable cynicism of the fourth estate, it is healthy for political leaders to admit when they have made a mistake and then accept full responsibility and promise to do better," he told News Corp from Los Angeles, when was Queensland’s Trade Commissioner.
"I always found Australians appreciated humility and directness in their leaders."
So when the Commonwealth Games’ closing ceremony on Sunday drew criticism for not focusing on the athletes, Mr Beattie was switched on the autopilot and apologies on Monday.
"Did we stuff it up? Yes,” he told a breakfast television audience tuned in to Seven's Sunrise.
“Should [athletes] have been a part of the actual ceremony that was broadcast? Of course. We got it wrong. I can't be more honest about it than that."
That apology came fast.
In March, Mr Beattie apologised when he could not remember the name of Cronulla Sharks, when he was questioned by New South Wales league hero Phil Gould.
Beattie, who had just been appointed an Australian Rugby League commissioner, quickly tweeted an apology.
Others Beattie apologies – for Queensland’s rising electricity prices, health debacles and for child abuse in institutions – however, came more slowly.
In July 2007, the then-premier told Queenslanders "no-one would pay more for electricity” as he deregulated the electricity market.
Queenslanders did pay more electricity, but it was not until 2013 that Peter Beattie admitted he got it wrong on electricity prices.
“I thought what in the end that would happen there would be cheaper prices,” he said.
“That was the advice from Treasury, but that didn't happen."
After the last of his four election wins in September 2006 he came very close to apologising for serious debacles in Queensland Health.
"They gave us one more chance and we have to take that," he said.
"It's a chance of trust and we can't betray that and we won't."
In 1999, he made a formal apology on behalf of the Queensland Parliament to families who had suffered abuse in church and care facilities in Queensland.
That became the Forde Inquiry.
“We sincerely apologise to all those people who suffered in any way while resident in our facilities, and express deep sorrow and regret at the hurt and distress suffered by those who were victims of abuse,” Beattie said.
“We accept the finding of the Forde Inquiry that government under-funding and consequent under-resourcing was a significant factor in the failure to provide adequate services to children in care.”
There was another formal apology from Mr Beattie in May 1999 to Indigenous Queenslanders after the 1997 Bringing Them Home report, examining how many were forcibly removed from their families.
“I move that this House apologises to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland on behalf of all Queenslanders for the past policies under which indigenous children were forcibly separated from their families and expresses deep sorrow and regret at the hurt and distress that this caused.”
Then there was drinking recycled water.
In the early 2000s drought gripped thirsty Queenslanders by the throat.
The water levels in the big dams just outside Brisbane would drop 17 per cent by August 2007.
Mr Beattie promised south-east Queenslanders they would get a vote on whether or not they would drink recycled water.
In January 2007, there was still no rain, Beattie changed his mind and the vote in March 2007 was cancelled.
He again apologised.
"So we've decided to cancel the polls, so there'll be no vote,” he said.
"I apologise to the people of south-east Queensland for breaking a commitment, but that was in less serious circumstances."