Swan is reasonably measured in his language. Fortunately we don't still have Keating as the treasurer. He once, famously, told us "This is the recession we had to have." From a technical economic standpoint he was right... it just hacked off a bloody lot of people when he said it. We still remember it clearly and he said it 20 years ago.
He also referred to Australia in 1986, as "In danger of becoming the largest banana republic in the Pacific region", based on our burgeoning foreign debt at the time.
Other notable quotes: "Because, son, I want to do you slowly." - To John Hewson, unpopular opposition leader, who demanded to know why Keating wouldn't call an early election.
"What we have here is the fag end of the Peter Stuyvesant jetset." - On Andrew Peacock, opposition leader, who was spending some time in the US, bonking his girlfriend, Shirley Maclaine.
"The souffle, having risen once, attempts to rise again" - Peacock again, on his second stint as opposition leader.
"The corpse is still swinging in the breeze, attracting flies and it stinks. Cut him down! Cut him down!" - Peacock again, nearing the end of his second stint and with approval ratings in single digits.
This was the guy who put his hand on the Queen. Effective politician but a cunt to the very core.
Expenses rorting is one of the last great sins of politicians. Most of the corruption has been squeezed out of our lot but we still see them doing stupid shit with their expense accounts.
When I was working in a city law firm we had a client who was under intense legal and media scrutiny as she was the secretary of a pollie who had misused $120,000 of expense funds in a single year. She was the one who blew the whistle on him when she was asked to admit to driving his ministerial car after his drunken son had crashed it.
I remember getting funny looks from people on the street for weeks afterwards, following my role in keeping the media corralled in our reception area and away from the interview room where she was recording her deposition for almost two days. I never once put my hand over a TV camera lens but it's bloody tempting when they shove one in your face.
It's a shrewd move by parliament. They've probably decided that, with a year or so until an election, a brief period of collective damnation is preferable to having their excesses dredged up then.
Yeah, it seems like every second night, a little porky critter comes out to change the writing on the barn door. Detaining 'terrorists' without trial for X->∞ days, saving taxpayers from the burden of having to trawl through MP expenses, allowing us to benefit from 'private investment' in our core services. You know, the usual stuff,
That's sleaze that they're proposing to pass into law. Bad news all around if it goes through.
ReplyDeleteI just love the Aussies for telling it how it is
ReplyDeleteSwan is reasonably measured in his language. Fortunately we don't still have Keating as the treasurer. He once, famously, told us "This is the recession we had to have." From a technical economic standpoint he was right... it just hacked off a bloody lot of people when he said it. We still remember it clearly and he said it 20 years ago.
ReplyDeleteHe also referred to Australia in 1986, as "In danger of becoming the largest banana republic in the Pacific region", based on our burgeoning foreign debt at the time.
Other notable quotes:
"Because, son, I want to do you slowly."
- To John Hewson, unpopular opposition leader, who demanded to know why Keating wouldn't call an early election.
"What we have here is the fag end of the Peter Stuyvesant jetset."
- On Andrew Peacock, opposition leader, who was spending some time in the US, bonking his girlfriend, Shirley Maclaine.
"The souffle, having risen once, attempts to rise again"
- Peacock again, on his second stint as opposition leader.
"The corpse is still swinging in the breeze, attracting flies and it stinks. Cut him down! Cut him down!"
- Peacock again, nearing the end of his second stint and with approval ratings in single digits.
This was the guy who put his hand on the Queen. Effective politician but a cunt to the very core.
Expenses rorting is one of the last great sins of politicians. Most of the corruption has been squeezed out of our lot but we still see them doing stupid shit with their expense accounts.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was working in a city law firm we had a client who was under intense legal and media scrutiny as she was the secretary of a pollie who had misused $120,000 of expense funds in a single year. She was the one who blew the whistle on him when she was asked to admit to driving his ministerial car after his drunken son had crashed it.
I remember getting funny looks from people on the street for weeks afterwards, following my role in keeping the media corralled in our reception area and away from the interview room where she was recording her deposition for almost two days. I never once put my hand over a TV camera lens but it's bloody tempting when they shove one in your face.
It's a shrewd move by parliament. They've probably decided that, with a year or so until an election, a brief period of collective damnation is preferable to having their excesses dredged up then.
ReplyDeleteThe subject came up on today's PM questions. According to this BBC article, the plan has been shelved.
ReplyDeleteThey test the waters every so often, to see if the public is watching?
ReplyDeleteThey picked a very sill time to do it...
ReplyDeleteThey're politicians, not genii.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it seems like every second night, a little porky critter comes out to change the writing on the barn door. Detaining 'terrorists' without trial for X->∞ days, saving taxpayers from the burden of having to trawl through MP expenses, allowing us to benefit from 'private investment' in our core services. You know, the usual stuff,
ReplyDeletehttp://www.boingboing.net/2009/01/21/obama-adminstration.html
ReplyDelete