Therese Rein – That letter of apology in full

Dear Premier,

I was mortified at Kevin’s behaviour in Sydney on Friday and I extend my sympathy for the discomfort and embarrassment he caused you. After the first 5 years of our marriage I gave up apologising to people he was rude to as it began to occupy too much of my time, but seeing his treatment of you was enough to make my blood boil.

We were having coffee in the living room when it was replayed on the Insiders program. As the segment started, Kevin got up to scuttle out of the room but I told him to sit right back down. Of course, he busied himself behind some papers and didn’t emerge until the whole show was over.

At the end of the program, I asked him what he had to say for himself. He said he had to ring Wayne urgently and began walking out but, thanks to my new lithesome frame, I got to the door first and blocked his escape.

I offer the exchange which followed verbatim as, I hope, you will find some comfort in it.

“Kevin, what do you have to say about the way you treated that lovely Kristina?”

“Who?”, said Kevin, looking at his shoes.

“Kristina Keneally.”

“Who's that?”, he said while removing some invisible lint from his shirt cuff.

“The Premier of NSW to whom Australia has just seen you being rude.”

“She’s a poo. And she smells.”, he said to an area just over my left shoulder.

“Kevin, don’t be ridiculous. You were horrid to her.”

He stamped his foot and closed his eyes and shouted, “She started it!”

“How did she start it?”

“She was all smiley and looking.”

“What do you mean ‘looking’?”

“She was looking at me in my face and I didn’t like it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“She was looking at me. I hate it when people look at me. I bet she was looking at my fringe. I hate my fringe and I hate her and I hate you!”

Anyway, Kristina, this went on for some time but you get the general idea.

If it’s any comfort you’ll remember he’s treated another charming, polite and intelligent woman this way. That time it was on the BBC when he refused to look at the Chinese Foreign Minister.

I apologise for Kevin’s incivility. I understand how you feel. After all, I live with the odious little twit.

Yours sincerely,

Therese Rein