Peter Dutton said perhaps the hardest words for any Opposition Leader – but especially this one – on Monday.

Kevin Rudd was right and he had been badly wrong.

It was 15 years ago to the day that Mr Dutton walked out on the apology to the Stolen Generations in an act that has come to define public perceptions of him more than anything else since.

“It was right for prime minister Rudd to make the apology in 2008,” Mr Dutton said on Monday.

“It’s right that we recognise the anniversary today.”

Successful political leaders are often talented actors.

It’s not easy to publicly convey an emotion at an appointed time, especially not for someone who only rarely showcases his other facial expression.

Peter Dutton formally apologises for walking out on Kevin Rudd’s apology to the Stolen Generations. Photo: AAP

But while the speech seemed to leave some of those watching questioning how sorry he really was, he was certainly trying.

“I believed that the apology should be given when the problems were resolved and the problems are not resolved,” he went on to say.

Mr Dutton said he could now understand the importance of the national moment in itself, which drew a few double-takes.

Mr Dutton hasn’t declared a position on the Voice to Parliament, and he has been calling for the federal police to lead a hard-line response to the crime wave in Alice Springs – and left no doubt about the implicit comparison he’s making.

And when he explained his change of perspective on reconciliation, Mr Dutton still rolled out an anecdote about working a case of violent crime while a Queensland cop that badly missed the mood.

Moment weighed heavily

But his opening words were as indicative as his apology.

He began his speech by saying he wanted to express his regret off the cuff, his head still stubbornly looking down at his papers.

The moment clearly weighed heavily.

But on a day when the PM sent a more subtly political message about the importance of changing long-held views, Mr Dutton mostly received a pass mark from onlookers.

His actions on this day in 2008 while still a low-profile shadow frontbencher clearly troubled Mr Dutton.

Just after taking on the Coalition leadership he said as much as part of a PR blitz which promised voters they were about to see another side of the defence minister who didn’t seem reluctant about the prospect of preparing for war.

Since then he has done absolutely nothing to make good on those words and has taken a view that Opposition is about opposing.

Rare opportunity

But Monday was a rare opportunity to reach a national audience for Mr Dutton, and he clearly understands that firing up the Coalition base has not suddenly become a viable strategy.

With speculation that his old colleague Josh Frydenberg could return to Parliament and fight a by-election he may also have just had his leadership flash before his eyes.

He might also remember another Liberal leader who did not boycott the apology but did speak begrudgingly, and wore scorn for doing so.

Brendan Nelson, like most first-term opposition leaders, was soon history and after 15 years Mr Dutton seems to realise that’s not something to be dismissed so casually.