Nice guys finish last
"My problem is I was too soft and had too many scruples." — Liberal MP Stephen Mutch, after losing preselection in his Sydney seat of Cook.
Reptiles
"The unusual political structure of One Nation is described [on Four Corners] by [Pauline Hanson's political adviser David] Ettridge as being similar to the body of a lizard. He said the members of One Nation formed part of the tail of the lizard and could be removed if necessary." — Australian, August 10.
Light
"I guess for everything there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It just depends on the length of the tunnel." — Hong Kong investment analyst Marc Faber on the city's economy.
Cigars are unhealthy
"A lot of Australians have the view that being on a board means a lot of long lunches and gossiping over burgundy and cigars. It is absolutely not." — Professor Jill Ker Conway, deputy chair of Lend Lease Corporation.
This time
"It's caused fear and anger, and our agencies have had to waste a lot of time convincing the recipients they did not have to register and would not lose their pensions." — David Thompson, CEO of Jobs Australia, on a Centrelink mailing that told age pensioners they had to register for work with the Job Network.
Image problem
"The military really has a very severe image problem." — Hasnan Habib, a retired Indonesian general, after disclosures about the armed forces' involvement in the kidnapping and torture of oppositionists.
Appreciated
"Whatever ... assistance we can provide on the defence front is going to be more appreciated than before." — Alan Du Pont, of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University, on the Australian-Indonesian Defence Cooperation Program.
No comment
"We're not a health authority." — A spokesperson for Sydney Water, refusing to answer a question on whether the city's water is safe to drink.