Peter Beattie

Peter Beattie was the Premier of Queensland from 20 June 1998 to 13 September 2007. After retiring from politics, he was appointed as Queensland's Trade Commissioner to North and South America based in Los Angeles, a position he was appointed to by Anna Bligh in March 2008 but retired from in May 2010. In late August 2011 Beattie was appointed by the federal government as Australia's first Resources Sector Supplier Envoy charged with promoting a Buy Australian at Home and Abroad program for supplying products to the Australian resources industry.

Response to Queensland floods of 2011
Following the devastating Queensland floods of 2011, Beattie penned an opinion column urging a quick restart of Queensland coal exports. "The damage from flooding over an area larger than the size of France and Germany combined will affect global markets. As Queensland is the linchpin supplier to Asia of coking coal essential to produce steel there will be a global ripple from the floods. Australia supplies more than half of the world's demand for coking coal and Queensland supplies the largest percentage of it. International spot prices for coal have risen about 10 per cent in the past few weeks and a further sharp rise is expected. Coking coal supplies are being sought from mines in the US, Canada, Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic and the Indian conglomerate Tata is also working on supplies from south Wales and Mozambique. Hopefully, Queensland can resume coal exports quickly to protect its markets. When I was premier it wouldn't rain and southeast Queensland experienced the worst drought on record. Since Anna Bligh succeeded me it hasn't stop raining. That is climate change in action."

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