Bob Carr was stumbling and inept as New South Wales' opposition leader - and that's his own assessment.
Mr Carr says being a state opposition leader against a first-term government with a big majority was a low point in his long political career.
"Having to face the overwhelming consensus that you were a short-term opposition leader going nowhere fast, I think was a tough challenge," he told ABC on Thursday.
"I'm embarrassed by the stumbling ineptitude of my performance as opposition leader."
He later went on to become Premier before switching to federal politics as a senator and becoming foreign minister.
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Mr Carr has written a book about his life, which he was due to promote at September's Brisbane Writer's Festival until his invitation and contract to attend was revoked.
He believes the decision to drop him and feminist author Germaine Greer were because "we're too controversial".
"I think they are running from controversy which, to me ... is against the very spirit of a writer's festival," he said.
