Politics is a tough game and those who enter the race must have a thick skin to deflect the barbs and insults that get flung their way on a daily basis.
While today’s pollies are doing a fair job hurling acid-tongued insults across Parliament floor and putting their foot in it with awkward comments, they’ve got nothing on their predecessors, who really knew how to grab a headline and get the nation talking.
Here we take a look back at some of the memorable quotes from Australia’s politicians past.
Pauk Keating
The former Treasurer was the king of one-liners during his time in Parliament and left former Liberal leader John Hewson gobsmacked with this series of insults over the years.
“He’s like a shiver waiting for a spine.”
“Debating with him is like being flogged by a warm lettuce.”
“The answer is, mate, because I want to do you slowly,” (after Hewson asked him why he wouldn’t call an early election).
Tony Abbott
Speaking about the cervical cancer vaccine in 2006, he said: “I won’t be rushing out to get my daughters vaccinated [for cervical cancer], maybe that’s because I’m a cruel, callow, callous, heartless bastard but, look, I won’t be.”
In 2010, he insinuated Australia’s housewives weren’t smart enough to understand how electricity bills work.
“What the housewives of Australia need to understand as they do the ironing is that if they get it done commercially it’s going to go up in price and their own power bills when they switch the iron on are going to go up,” he said.
During the 2014 election, Abbott was asked to compare former Liberal MP Jackie Kelly with current Liberal candidate Fiona Scott. “They’re young, feisty, I think I can probably say have a bit of sex appeal and they’re just very connected with the local area,” he said.
And let’s not forget the time he ate a raw onion.
https://twitter.com/timhighfield/status/821250894117208064
Jacqui Lambie
“They must have heaps of cash and they’ve got to have a package between their legs. They don’t even need to speak,” she said when asked to describe her perfect man.
Joe Hockey
“The poorest people either don’t have cars or don’t actually drive very far in many cases,” he said after raising the tax on petrol in 2014.
He also advised Australians wanting to buy their first home to “get a good job that pays good money”, saying that “if housing were unaffordable in Sydney, no one would be buying it”.
Pauline Hanson
Her most famous line was uttered during her maiden speech to parliament in 1996.
“I believe we are in danger of being swamped by Asians,” she told her colleagues. She later reiterated the sentiment in 2017, only this time, she replaced Asians with Muslims.
Bob Katter
“I would walk to [the New South Wales town of] Bourke backwards if the gay population of North Queensland is any more than 0.001%,” he declared. His half-brother Carl later came out as gay.
Bob Hawke
“Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum,” said Bob Hawke, following Australia’s victory in the 1983 America’s Cup.
Which of these was your favourite? Who’s your favourite pollie out of the bunch?