Lamentable
“I would lament that.” -- Richard Butler, former head of the UN Special Commission on Iraq, replying to a magazine interviewer's question about whether the US government used the commission to spy on Iraq, something that Butler used to deny.
We never have
“Why is it that you can never find a prime minister when you really need one?” -- Alan Mitchell in the Australian Financial Review.
Got where they are without them
“Neither the queen nor other members of the royal family have any immediate plans to use the newly acquired voting rights.” -- Buckingham Palace on legislation that will allow hereditary peers and the royal family to vote and stand for parliament for the first time.
Quiet, please
“We can have a Monarch, a Governor or a President -- born, elected of appointed -- foreign or local. Just so long as we never write down what they do.” -- Alan Kohler in the Australian Financial Review.
Among others
“The Church of England has `let Jesus down' by contributing to the oppression of women, repression of free speech and by supporting imperialism and slavery, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said in a book he has written ...” -- Sydney Morning Herald, August 3.
But how does it smell?
“It doesn't look good.” -- NSW Liberal leader Kerry Chikarovski on the oil spill in Sydney Harbour.
Efficiency
“I think the use of the words cost-cutting is an emotive term. It is an efficiency goal.” -- Greg Martin, chief executive of the Sydney port authority, on Shell's plans to reduce from four to three the number of tugs used to manoeuvre oil tankers in the harbour.
Reputation precedes them
“Savvy entrepreneurs [in Kosova] are plying a brisk trade in orange T-shirts with the curious logo, `I No Catholik, Donut Shut' ... The Royal Ulster Constabulary, Northern Ireland's police force, is contributing 60 officers to Kosova to help establish ... policing.” -- The Ankara Sentinel.
Higher indeed
“In order to provide you with a higher level of service, why not try our self-service option?” -- Recorded message on the National Australia Bank's inquiry number.
