“We have a political class that has no understanding of our industry…and people whose idea of career planning is a lifetime parliamentary pension and a gig with a lobbying firm.”
John Sutton, national secretary of the CFMEU construction division, explains why the Rudd government wants to maintain the Australian Building and Construction Commission
“Further delays and further uncertainty provide a great obstacle to Australia capitalising…on the opportunity of being the carbon trading financial services hub of the Asia-Pacific region.”
Financial Services Minister Chris Bowen tries to convince the Liberals to vote for the CPRS
“I think this whole process of policy making over the ETS has been one of the worst examples of policy making we have seen on major issues in Australia.”
Ross Garnaut, author of the federal government’s climate change review
“I think we should put out a red carpet and welcome them with open hands if they are that desperate to become Australians.”
Paul Howes, National Secretary of the Australian Workers Union, on why Rudd should welcome refugees
“Costello was a policy bum of the first order who squandered 11 years of economic opportunity.”
Paul Keating slams Rudd’s appointmet of Costello to the board of the Future Fund
“He said there are 30 years of neo-liberal extremism that undermined the Australian economy…and here he is putting the number one ticket holder in the neo-liberal free market extremist association onto the Future Fund”
Malcolm Turnbull provides another good reason not to trust Costello with the Future Fund
“A lot of people would take great issue with you calling the US presence in your country an ‘occupation’.”
CNN interviewer Heidi Collins cuts off Afghan MP Malalai Joya, as she denounced the US presence in Afghanistan
“I don’t think it has anything to do with the legitimacy of the election.”
Hillary Clinton on the decision by Karzai’s opponent to withdraw from the Afghanistan election, citing fraud preparations
“The United States military presence in Afghanistan greatly contributes to the legitimacy and strategic message of the Pashtun insurgency.”
Matthew Hoh, former US marine captain who served in Iraq, who quit the US Foreign Service because he believed the war in Afghanistan was only fuelling armed resistance
“I’m not some peacenik, pot-smoking hippie who wants everyone to be in love… I was never more happy than when our Iraq team whacked a bunch of guys.”
Matthew Hoh explains why he thinks he has credibility on the issue
“We have to accept that inequality is a way of achieving greater opportunity and prosperity for all.”
Goldman Sachs Vice-Chairman Lord Griffiths defends the company’s record US$22 billion bonuses to be paid out to staff this year
