The colourful quotes of Mark LathamDecember 2, 2003 from
the age
Mark Latham has used some colourful language during his time as a Labor parliamentarian, including the following:
"The role of government is to stimulate market competition, not smother it with tariffs, subsidies and central planning."
- from his maiden speech to parliament.
"Hand in your badge, Adolf."
- directed at former immigration minister Philip Ruddock.
"Howard is an arse-licker. He went over there, kissed some bums, and got patted on the head."
- description of Prime Minister John Howard's trip to the United States.
"That deformed character Tony Staley."
- description of disabled former Liberal Party president.
"If he didn't steal my property he wouldn't have any injuries, so I've done the bare minimum to chase him, to tackle him, to pick up my bag and retrieve the stolen property."
- outlining how he broke the arm of a Sydney taxi driver.
"There they are, a conga line of suckholes on the conservative side of politics."
- on Coalition support for the war in Iraq.
"Bush himself is the most incompetent and dangerous president in living memory."
- on US President George W Bush.
"(John Howard) has forgotten how to be a good Australian, not some yes-man to a flaky and dangerous American president."
- same again.
"F**king idiot."
- Description of satirist from The Chaser program during the last federal election.
"No, I think I made a mistake."
- recanting his call for the reintroduction of corporal punishment in schools.
My assessment is, I've won by two today, I'm one up on him."
- on former Labor PM John Curtin, who won the leadership by one vote in 1935.
"I'm not a white-bread politician, I'm not in that groove, I'll do things according to my own style."
- vowing to watch his language but not change his style.�