ManlyBacker
Winging it
I know a lot of Queenslanders can't stand him and I put this down to the relentless negative press of the Courier Mail and other papers. But for me he was a stand-out pollie who will be missed. To my mind he was similar to Jeff Kennett who I had a great deal of time for. Anyway, he was a huge step above Carr and some of the idiots we have had at State level.
Beattie announces retirement on Thursday
Queensland Premier Peter Beattie has announced his retirement from the state's top job, effective this Thursday.
Mr Beattie said a new leader would be elected at a Labor caucus meeting on Wednesday morning.
He said he had stayed on because he felt he had an obligation to Queenslanders.
"I stayed because I felt I had obligations to Queenslanders in relation to issues of health, the water grid and obviously council amalgamations," Mr Beattie said.
"I stayed to make sure that that work was either done or well on the way.
"That's now been done.
"And I'm confident under premier Anna Bligh (his deputy) the state will be in good hands."
Mr Beattie said he and wife Heather would take a long holiday and spend time with their three children.
"And then we are going to think about our future," Mr Beattie said.
He said he had told Ms Bligh about his decision on Sunday, but his mind had been made up on September 2 when he and his deputy had opened the first stage of the western recycled water pipeline.
"The real tipping point was the opening of the first stage of the water grid when I knew we had actually got the recycled water," Mr Beattie said.
He said he had spent an hour talking with federal Labor leader Kevin Rudd on Sunday night.
"I haven't been perfect as you all know, I've made my share of mistakes and when we have I've tried to admit them and get on with it," Mr Beattie said.
"I would just ask Queenslanders for this little thing, that I be remembered simply for doing my best.
"Sometimes it was good enough, sometimes it wasn't good enough but I always did my best."
Mr Beattie took a cheeky swipe at his wife's News Ltd interview where she said her husband looked tired.
"I thank Heather in particular for putting up with me and giving me that frank advice from time to time like you're fat and overweight and you've got bags under your eyes, you should keep your speeches shorter and all those wonderful things that my wife gave me advice on," he said.
"My only great regret about politics is not being with my family a lot more."
Mr Beattie then surprised his wife by asking her for a few words, saying it was his "get square for that baggy eyes thing".
Dr Heather Beattie, who joined him at the media conference alongside son Matthew, said she believed her husband had done well.
"I think he's done a wonderful job," she said.
"I would like to congratulate Peter. I think he has done his best, I think he has done a wonderful job.
"The thing that has made this whole journey enjoyable has been Queenslanders, and meeting Queenslanders ... that's been a real honour and something we will always remember.
"There's been some very special, funny moments along the way, and some sad moments too.
"I would like to thank them for the privilege."
Mr Beattie went on to say: "There are many things about the American system that I disagree with and there are many things I agree with.
"That is, I like their two fixed terms of four years which means leaders stay around about eight years.
"As you know I've been premier for over nine."
Mr Beattie said he did not intend to run for federal politics.
"I have no interest in federal politics," Mr Beattie said.
"I did a long time ago, but not any more."
The premier said he was "over" politics, but had made no decision on his post-political future.
"You get to a stage in your life when you get over it and I'm well and truly over it," he said.
Mr Beattie's son Matthew told the media conference he was proud of his father.
"I'm really just happy to have him home and be able to see him a bit more," he said.
"I'm very proud of him."
He said he did not regret the amount of time his father spent away from his family.
"But in a way I'm glad it's over," he said.
When asked if his resignation should send a signal to long serving Prime Minister John Howard, Mr Beattie said: "All I can say to you is that renewal is important.
"This is nothing new, I'm not trying to pick on John ... but renewal is important.
"Those parties that renew, survive.
"You've got to remember that government is more important than any individual and in my view the Labor party is more important than any individual.
"My going at this time is good for Queensland.
"At the end of it, whether I personally like that ... is beside the point - I've always tried to put Queensland first."
Mr Beattie said he was the second-longest serving state Labor leader.
But he believed now was the right time to go, after discussions over a long period with his wife.
"I'm looking forward in a sense to Heather and I going back to being a couple of kids from Atherton (their home town in north Queensland)," he said.
Mr Beattie said there were a "few" tears when he announced his resignation at Monday's cabinet meeting.
"I have to admit I plead guilty to that too," he said.
"It was an emotional time for me.
"Today's cabinet meeting was one of those things that leaders dream of.
"To go at a time when the polls are very good for the government, a lot of the challenges have been dealt with, it's a great honour."
Asked for his highs and lows, Mr Beattie reiterated that he had one personal regret.
"There's always regrets. I guess the biggest is to not have enough time with my kids," he said.
"But I'm proud of how my kids turned out."
But there were plenty of highs, Mr Beattie said.
"In the long run a lot of people are coming to appreciate what Smart State's all about," he said.
"I'm proud of the science and the biotechnology that we've got here.
"I'm proud of the fact that we have the most number of school-based apprenticeships anywhere in Australia.
"I'm proud Virgin Blue came here. I regard Virgin as one of our successes.
"We've also become more global.
"There's a new Queensland ... and I'm very proud of that."
Beattie announces retirement on Thursday
Queensland Premier Peter Beattie has announced his retirement from the state's top job, effective this Thursday.
Mr Beattie said a new leader would be elected at a Labor caucus meeting on Wednesday morning.
He said he had stayed on because he felt he had an obligation to Queenslanders.
"I stayed because I felt I had obligations to Queenslanders in relation to issues of health, the water grid and obviously council amalgamations," Mr Beattie said.
"I stayed to make sure that that work was either done or well on the way.
"That's now been done.
"And I'm confident under premier Anna Bligh (his deputy) the state will be in good hands."
Mr Beattie said he and wife Heather would take a long holiday and spend time with their three children.
"And then we are going to think about our future," Mr Beattie said.
He said he had told Ms Bligh about his decision on Sunday, but his mind had been made up on September 2 when he and his deputy had opened the first stage of the western recycled water pipeline.
"The real tipping point was the opening of the first stage of the water grid when I knew we had actually got the recycled water," Mr Beattie said.
He said he had spent an hour talking with federal Labor leader Kevin Rudd on Sunday night.
"I haven't been perfect as you all know, I've made my share of mistakes and when we have I've tried to admit them and get on with it," Mr Beattie said.
"I would just ask Queenslanders for this little thing, that I be remembered simply for doing my best.
"Sometimes it was good enough, sometimes it wasn't good enough but I always did my best."
Mr Beattie took a cheeky swipe at his wife's News Ltd interview where she said her husband looked tired.
"I thank Heather in particular for putting up with me and giving me that frank advice from time to time like you're fat and overweight and you've got bags under your eyes, you should keep your speeches shorter and all those wonderful things that my wife gave me advice on," he said.
"My only great regret about politics is not being with my family a lot more."
Mr Beattie then surprised his wife by asking her for a few words, saying it was his "get square for that baggy eyes thing".
Dr Heather Beattie, who joined him at the media conference alongside son Matthew, said she believed her husband had done well.
"I think he's done a wonderful job," she said.
"I would like to congratulate Peter. I think he has done his best, I think he has done a wonderful job.
"The thing that has made this whole journey enjoyable has been Queenslanders, and meeting Queenslanders ... that's been a real honour and something we will always remember.
"There's been some very special, funny moments along the way, and some sad moments too.
"I would like to thank them for the privilege."
Mr Beattie went on to say: "There are many things about the American system that I disagree with and there are many things I agree with.
"That is, I like their two fixed terms of four years which means leaders stay around about eight years.
"As you know I've been premier for over nine."
Mr Beattie said he did not intend to run for federal politics.
"I have no interest in federal politics," Mr Beattie said.
"I did a long time ago, but not any more."
The premier said he was "over" politics, but had made no decision on his post-political future.
"You get to a stage in your life when you get over it and I'm well and truly over it," he said.
Mr Beattie's son Matthew told the media conference he was proud of his father.
"I'm really just happy to have him home and be able to see him a bit more," he said.
"I'm very proud of him."
He said he did not regret the amount of time his father spent away from his family.
"But in a way I'm glad it's over," he said.
When asked if his resignation should send a signal to long serving Prime Minister John Howard, Mr Beattie said: "All I can say to you is that renewal is important.
"This is nothing new, I'm not trying to pick on John ... but renewal is important.
"Those parties that renew, survive.
"You've got to remember that government is more important than any individual and in my view the Labor party is more important than any individual.
"My going at this time is good for Queensland.
"At the end of it, whether I personally like that ... is beside the point - I've always tried to put Queensland first."
Mr Beattie said he was the second-longest serving state Labor leader.
But he believed now was the right time to go, after discussions over a long period with his wife.
"I'm looking forward in a sense to Heather and I going back to being a couple of kids from Atherton (their home town in north Queensland)," he said.
Mr Beattie said there were a "few" tears when he announced his resignation at Monday's cabinet meeting.
"I have to admit I plead guilty to that too," he said.
"It was an emotional time for me.
"Today's cabinet meeting was one of those things that leaders dream of.
"To go at a time when the polls are very good for the government, a lot of the challenges have been dealt with, it's a great honour."
Asked for his highs and lows, Mr Beattie reiterated that he had one personal regret.
"There's always regrets. I guess the biggest is to not have enough time with my kids," he said.
"But I'm proud of how my kids turned out."
But there were plenty of highs, Mr Beattie said.
"In the long run a lot of people are coming to appreciate what Smart State's all about," he said.
"I'm proud of the science and the biotechnology that we've got here.
"I'm proud of the fact that we have the most number of school-based apprenticeships anywhere in Australia.
"I'm proud Virgin Blue came here. I regard Virgin as one of our successes.
"We've also become more global.
"There's a new Queensland ... and I'm very proud of that."
