Politicians (previous quotes now in a PDF file)

Rock Solid
The 'commencement date should occur in the context of having firm commitments from the rest of the world in terms of what they are going to do ... it should occur in an environment where the blowtorch has been applied to the major emitters throughout the world and we have a commitment from them in terms of the action that they will actually undertake.' Brendan Nelson (Australian Opposition Leader) agreeing with his minister Greg Hunt that the Opposition's commitment to 2012 for the start of an Emissions Trading Scheme is 'rock-solid'.

But there's always room for further continuous improvement, going forward...' Victorian Premier John Brumby

'I will definitely remember to suck my stomach in going forward.' A blog entry discussing yoga.

'... Karl Rove insists that he never precisely leaked Plame's name itself. (Rather, he seems to have confirmed that he'd heard that former Ambassador Joe Wilson's wife worked for the CIA, not that he named her. With the cover of such weasel words indictments are dodged.)' Jack Tapper 'McClellan: Bush Shoulda Canned Rove', 2 June 2008, Political Punch - ABC News Blog

'This is a global problem... but we have a plan going forward.' Australian PM Kevin Rudd on increasing petrol prices.

It was to 'get Toyota across the line on this announcement and to make sure that what might have been a question mark going forward becomes an affirmative decision.' Victorian Premier John Brumby on the $35 million of public money going to Toyota.

'There are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhoods today.' US presidential candidate John McCain prior to visiting a Baghdad market while being flanked by 22 soldiers, 10 armored Humvees, and two Apache attack helicopters.

'We were probably over-optimistic, I think, in the time frames,' Mr Brumby said yesterday. 'We were given time frames that were overly optimistic. We are not able to achieve those.'
Victorian Premier, John Brumby on the new public transport ticketing system that will now cost: '....$1.3 billion rather than $1 billion in round terms.' He's confident that the recent $350 million blowout is 'the final financial exposure.' Melbourne Herald Sun, 28 May.

Robust and inappropriate
'I'm not being backward in saying that I'm not a perfect individual and you know I've had a robust past and there may be elements of that that have proved offensive to people ... Members of the press have in passing mentioned the word quokka and suggested to me that something inappropriate in the past may have happened ...I don't shy away away from that at all, but I'm not aware that I've caused any offence to a quokka.'
WA Leader of the Opposition, Troy Buswell, after it was suggested that he had done something inappropriate with a quokka. 14 May 2008.

Australian Attorney-General Robert McClelland on the Haneef inquiry:
'Well, well again, the procedure has been determined by Mr Clark as part of cooperation that in accordance with their undertaking, we would expect that they will of course give truthful evidence. If, at any stage, he believes that that cooperation isn't forthcoming in the context of the disclosure of such documents as are of relevance, such evidence as he genuinely believes someone may be able to provide, we have indicated to him and he acknowledges he has an invitation to come back to the Government to explain that ... Um, again, I was - have that ball placed in front of the goal post ready for me to kick today and I didn't accept the invitation.'

And on discrimination against same sex couples:

'Well, we - what you are talking about is providing a positive system of recognising at law a relationship that is in existence as a result of the registration of that, as is occurring in Tasmania and as is occurring in Victoria. That is something that is appropriate because it actually recognises something that is in existence. What we don't support is legal measures that create a relationship that is akin to marriage.'
KERRY O'BRIEN:' I'm still not sure why that's not discriminatory, but I think that's where we're gonna have to leave it.'
ABC 7.30 Report, 30 April. Read the transcript of the interview on their website.

Mission not specifically accomplished?
'President Bush is well aware that the banner should have been much more specific and said `mission accomplished' for these sailors who are on this ship on their mission .... And we have certainly paid a price for not being more specific on that banner.'
White House press secretary Dana Perino.

'I will conduct a respectful debate. Now, it will be dispirited -- it will be spirited -- because there are stark differences. I am a proud conservative, liberal Republica-- conservative Republican.'
US Presidential candidate John McCain

'There has to be a greater synergy between, let's call it our policy leadership in this, which has been focused so much, legitimately, on targets and global architecture, almost reverse-engineered back to the means by which you can quickly deliver outcomes, and on the demand side in our economy we're looking at potential advances in terms of 20 to 25% range if you do this across the board. It all takes cost, but let me tell you it's probably the quickest lever you can pull given the challenges we face.' Kevin Rudd on climate change.

'Where it was before, which was in a preglacial position, we're now moving rapidly down the glacier … it's going to take a bit more to gelignite this thing into gear.' Rudd on getting an international deal on trade in the Doah round.

'The elephant in the living room — it is big.' Rudd on the global financial crisis.
'Rudd says he's no robot, yet he talks like one', Michelle Grattan in The Age . Thanks to Geoff who says it looks like our PM was educated in Queensland - see quotes in Education.

'This is huge for them, huge for the name brand of Geelong...'
Victorian Premier, John Brumby, on Geelong winning the AFL Grand Final in 2007.

'It's not good for us, but it keeps the New Orleans brand out there.'
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin's take on murders in his city. Anti-violence activist Baty Landis said:
'New Orleans is not a brand, it's a city. We're not products. We're people with lives.'

'Well, he's certainly, by certain standards, well he's certainly by some standards a dictator. I mean there's no doubt about that.'
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer talking about General Musharraf. ABC Lateline . And on the election:
'Well, what we do know is that we have a very strong team. I mean that is what we do know. We know who the team is. Our ministers are well known. They are well known as administrators if you like, they are well known as administrators, they are well known as ministers, they are well known as politicians, they are well known for the policies they pursue.'

'I will resign as a minister in the Howard government if there are any substantial changes ...'
Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey on what would happen if substantial changes were made to Work Choices laws if the Howard government is returned to office(and it wasn't)...

'I said I was sorry they occurred. I don't think I used the word apology ... I think there is a difference between the two things. I think we've been through that debate before in the context of something else.'
PM John Howard on interest rate rises.

‘It is great to see the spatial industry making real progress towards enhancing what it can deliver to both private and public sectors.’ The Special Minister of State, Gary Nairn, announcing in a press release 'a number of new initiatives to drive the development of spatial technology and enablement.' Thanks Peter Anson

'We have a stake in the future. We've built a platform whereby we can now have a stake in the future, look at the big problems going foward.' Senator Helen Coonan on the upcoming Federal election on ABC Radio National, 14 Sept.

'On what he was saying last night it's a bit confused. It's not clear to me what he was saying last night. The truth about Labor's industrial relations system is it's all about going forward.' Julia Gillard making everything clearer after the Paul Keating interview.

'Every now and then you've got to make creative choices in terms of talent available.'
Kevin Rudd, ALP leader, on Labor's latest recruit, Nicole Cornes. 'Star recruit takes rain check on tough issues', The Age

' I think it's about the most poll defiant thing that I've done in the whole of my prime ministership '
John Howard on sending Austalian troops to Iraq (ABC Radio: AM)

And from the masters:

Sir Humphrey: 'Complicated, lengthy, expensive, controversial. And if you want to be really sure that the Minister doesn't accept it you must say the decision is courageous.'
Bernard: 'And that's worse than controversial?'
Sir Humphrey: (laughs) 'Controversial only means this will lose you votes, courageous means this will lose you the election.' BBC

'But I hope now that the family can get on now with the burial and they can come to terms with their grief and the process can move on to establish the truth through these inquiries.'
Peter Costello,'Treasurer apologises to Kovco family' ABC News (thanks to John Blahusiak)

'... iconic compass points in the Australian calendar year...'
Senator Joyce commenting on proposed IR legislation, ABC Radio News, 23 Nov 05. Thanks to Charlie Myres who explains, ' ICPs have replaced public holidays'.

'These are careful, balanced, evolutionary proposals - taking us forward to meet the challenge that we have in the future.'
Former Australian Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews, The Australian, 17 November 2005 (thanks to Matt Williams)

'Mr Howard would not give further details, citing operational security reasons ( 2 Nov)... You will understand that there are sensitive operational matters and I cannot and will not go into any further detail (Howard, 31 Oct) ... The department strives for transparency in our operation to the extent possible in light of security and operational requirements ... (Philip Ruddock 29 Oct) ... Thirdly, the Bill would exclude access to remedies for unfair dismissal where an employee is dismissed on operational grounds ... (Senate inquiry, 1 Nov)
Thanks to Karen Dacy who asks 'what does it mean?'

(previous quotes now in a PDF file)

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