▁Party ▁MP ▁Bert ▁van ▁Man en . ▁ ▁Media ▁invol vement ▁Be att ie ' s ▁description ▁by ▁Liberal ▁Le ader ▁Dr ▁David ▁Watson ▁as ▁a ▁" media ▁tart " ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁his ▁political ▁success es ▁have ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁love - h ate ▁relationship ▁with ▁The ▁Cou rier - Mail , ▁Br is b ane ' s ▁daily ▁newspaper . ▁Column ist ▁Peter ▁W ear , ▁for ▁example , ▁ran ▁a ▁long - running ▁sat ire ▁on ▁Queensland ▁politics ▁in ▁general ▁with ▁the ▁major ▁role ▁played ▁by ▁" Pres ident ▁for ▁Life ▁M be att ie ". ▁ ▁The ▁controvers y ▁over ▁the ▁performance ▁of ▁the ▁government - owned ▁electric ity ▁supp lier ▁Ener gex ▁during ▁the ▁severe ▁ 2 0 0 3 - 2 0 0 4 ▁storm ▁season ▁in ▁South ▁East ▁Queensland ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁character isation ▁of ▁Be att ie ▁as ▁" Power ▁Point ▁P ete " ▁by ▁Cou rier - Mail ▁cart oon ist ▁Se an ▁Le ah y , ▁with ▁the ▁location ▁of ▁the ▁drawing ' s ▁eyes ▁and ▁nose ▁designed ▁to ▁rep licate ▁the ▁holes ▁of ▁a ▁power ▁point . ▁ ▁In ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁the ▁Be att ie ▁government ▁proposed ▁to ▁reduce ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁coun c ils ▁from ▁ 1 5 4 ▁to ▁ 7 2 , ▁which ▁would ▁result ▁in ▁the ▁mer ger ▁of ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁regional ▁and ▁extra - met ropol itan ▁coun c ils ▁into ▁larger ▁Regional ▁Coun c ils . ▁This ▁proved ▁particularly ▁un pop