Just one of many Beattie apologies through the years
Australia’s Most Regretful Man tells everyone that he’s really sorry again. Commonwealth Games chairman Peter Beattie on Twitter, yesterday:
The speeches (at the Games closing ceremony) were too many and too long. I was part of that and I acknowledge it. Again, we got that wrong.
He’s so sorry, he apologised twice. Beattie on ABC News, yesterday:
The athletes would not have enjoyed last night. I understand that and frankly the buck stops with me …
Sorry, three times. Beattie on the Seven Network’s Sunrise, yesterday:
You can have a blame game from now until eternity but, the reality is, I’m chairman of the organising committee, the buck stops with us. I’m not interested in blaming anyone but us. That’s our fault … that’s my fault … I apologise to you and anyone else.
OMG, he apologised again. Beattie on the Nine Network’s Today, yesterday:
I’ll contact (Australian team flag-bearer) Kurt Fearnley, who I’m a big fan of, to apologise to him today … I’m chairman and the buck stops with me.
We expect more apologies in the coming days from the former Queensland premier. Madonna’s hit song Sorry, February 7, 2006:
I don’t want to hear, I don’t want to know / Please don’t say “forgive me” / I’ve seen it all before /And I can’t take it anymore
Beattie also apologised recently for forgetting who the Cronulla Sharks were. He’s ARL Commission chairman. The ex-premier on Twitter, March 12:
This was me Saturday night with the Sharks’ coach. Yes I stuffed up the answer; just nervous in front of the great Phil Gould. Yeah I’m human. I had a mental blank. The price of doing the NRL & the Commonwealth Games at the same time !!
Beattie spent most of his time as premier telling people he was so, so, so, so, so sorry. The then-premier in The Courier-Mail, January 5, 2004:
… if I have in some way offended the Bjelke-Petersen family, then I apologise.
Beattie said he was sorry a hell of a lot. A Courier-Mail timeline of his best apologies, January 10, 2004:
November 2003: Beattie apologises to independent MP Peter Wellington … July 2003: Beattie apologises after public outcry over elite Special Emergency Response Team officers using real-life images for target practice … July 2003: Beattie apologises after his government publicly named a foster family at the centre of abuse investigations … February 2003: Beattie apologises again to Queenslanders for going back on an election promise of no new taxes … March 2001: Beattie apologises … for the need for a fresh poll so soon after the state election.
And no doubt we can expect an apology for this Beattie balls-up soon. AAP, yesterday:
Peter Beattie has suffered another NRL-related gaffe, this time failing to differentiate between the Newcastle Knights jersey and the one worn by soccer giants Barcelona.
Beattie clearly believes in the power of confession. Justin Bieber, October 23, 2015:
Oh, is it too late now to say sorry? / Yeah, I know that I let you down / Is it too late to say I’m sorry now? / Ooh, ooh / I’m sorry, yeah / Ooh, ooh / Sorry, yeah / Ooh, ooh / Sorry / Yeah, I know that I let you down / Is it too late to say I’m sorry now? / Ooh, ooh
But as Cut & Paste’s mother said almost every day of our childhood:
Don’t keep telling me you’re sorry, just don’t do it again.