Pugnacious Premier Peter Beattie has cancer – but you wouldn't
know it by the brave face he's showing to the world.
"I'll let others be the judge of how brave I'm being under the
circumstances," the plucky politician said quietly yesterday.
Doctors discovered the skin cancer – known as a basal cell carcinoma
– near the Queensland leader's right eye during a regular check-up.
At first, they thought the lesion was the most deadly form of skin cancer
found in politicians – a meglomanoma.
Even so, they've warned the Premier that if it is not removed quickly it
could eventually lead to a life after politics.
A team of specialists will attempt the operation on Wednesday at the St
Andrew's Hospice for the Terminally Self-Promoting and Chronically Egotistical.
In an exclusive interview with The Bug, the Premier bravely tried
to be upbeat and positive about the pending operation to remove the growth,
despite the fact that only about three and a half million of these types
of cancers were removed from Queenslanders last year.
"I'd be less than honest with you if I denied I was a little frightened
about the procedure," Mr Beattie quipped.
"But I've got some bad news for my political foes and my personal trainer.
"I expect to be round for some time yet."
The Bug only heard about the Premier's plight when he phoned us.
Mr Beattie said he had decided to go public with his condition because he
didn't want the cancer scare to be used by his political opponents and The
Bug would probably splash it over the front cover.
"I'm only talking to you about me now so people later won't talk about
me then," he quipped.
The operation is expected to leave the Premier sporting a black eye, but
Mr Beattie says looking like he's gone three rounds with a revolving restaurant
is the least of his worries.
"I'm far more worried about missing my first day of Parliament for
10 years.
"And if you'd ever seen my deputy Jim Elder take charge, you'd be worried
too," he quipped.
"No, but seriously, I don't want my fellow Queenslanders out there
to worry themselves sick over me. I want everyone to put on as brave a face
as possible and just try to get on with their day-to-day lives.
"Tell them I'm not going anywhere."
Mr Beattie admitted, however, that the cancer scare and operation had come
at a very bad time.
"I wish it could have been closer to the next poll," he quipped.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about the Premier's skin cancer growth is
that its crusty surface bears a remarkable resemblance to his opposite number
in State Parliament, Opposition Leader Rob Borbidge.
"I was damned ugly enough already without that happening as well,"
Mr Beattie quipped.
"The doctors have told me that left unchecked, the cancer will just
get uglier and uglier and could end up looking a lot like Mick Veivers."
Mr Beattie said he was just thankful the cancer had not turned out to be
a lot, lot worse.
"Imagine having to go through life knowing you've had Joan Sheldon
on your face," the Premier quipped.
"But, seriously though, I want to turn this experience into something
positive.
"The way I see it, this happening to me is a bit of a wake-up call,
not just to me, but to all Queenslanders.
"It shows just how easy it is to get front page media attention in
this state."
