Improving on perfection
"I believe the system is as safe as it could possibly be, but that doesn't mean that we can't make it safer." — NSW transport minister Carl Scully on the state's public transport system.
Executioner
"I am mindful of the difference between the executive branch and the legislative branch. I assured all four of these leaders that I know the difference, and that difference is they pass the laws and I execute them." — US President-elect George W. Bush.
Mo' Dubya
"Natural gas is hemispheric. I like to call it hemispheric in nature because it is a product that we can find in our neighbourhoods." — George Bush junior, again.
Economic rationalism
"Golden Northwest had decided to stop production [at its Washington State aluminimum smelter] after finding it could make more money taking the State-provided cheap electricity it would have used to make aluminium and selling it back to the Government for up to 20 times what it paid." — Financial Review, January 13-14.
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