Population implosion
"We are all capitalists now, with 1.2 million Australians buying about $8 billion of shares in Telstra." — Sydney Morning Herald editorial, November 18.
Oh so modern
"The [socialisation] objective, totally ignored by modern Labor but reiterated in successive platforms, commits the party to 'the democratic socialisation of industry, production, distribution and exchange, to the extent necessary to eliminate exploitation and other anti-social features." — The Financial Review, November 20, reporting that the ALP's new platform will retain the objective.
Magical
"They [voters in 1996] doubted our heart, but they did not doubt our competence. And that is still something for us to conjure with." — ALP leader Kim Beazley.
All needs catered for
"News and views: things to have, places to go, people to watch, what to think ..." — British Vogue, September.
Bolsheviks in the belfry
"The Independent MP for Kalgoorlie, Graeme Campbell, said ... the posturing of some church leaders [on the native title issue] 'had more to do with Leon Trotsky than with Jesus Christ'." — Canberra Times, November 19.
Bats in Langley
"We measured things, but none of them fell within the dimensions given by the Bible ... At no time did we say we saw an ark." — A retired CIA photographic specialist, on claims that aerial spy photographs had detected the outlines of Noah's Ark under a glacier atop Mt Ararat in Turkey.
Not enough?
"Italy has had 50 governments in 50 years, France has done the same thing, and they've shot half the presidents in America." — NSW Liberal MLC Beryl Evans on the dangers of republics.
Just greedy
"Most people do not have any discretion to save by spending less on food, clothing, heating or other essentials, or by leaving their dead relatives unburied." — Financial commentator Austin Donnelly, rejecting the claim that a goods and services tax would increase savings.