What They Said In 2006

We take a look back at the year as best described by the newsmakers themselves.

LIFE AND DEATH:

“He’s an ordinary guy, and he wants to be remembered as an ordinary bloke.” — Steve Irwin’s dad Bob on the family’s decision to turn down a state funeral for the Crocodile Hunter, who lost his life in a stingray attack.

“Brock had his fair share of shunts like everybody else did, but he’d always get out smiling with the hair in place and a quick quip for the media, and it’s hard to be believe that’s not going to happen.” — Paul Weissel, former communications manager for the Holden Racing Team, on the death of racing driver and “King of the Mountain” Peter Brock.

“I don’t think I will ever know exactly what happened until I catch up with Jake.” — Private Jake Kovco’s widow Shelley, after the inquiry into the Victorian soldier’s death in Iraq and bungled repatriation.

“I don’t know what I did to be given the gift of Belinda Emmett, but whatever it was, I am glad I did it.” – Rove McManus, in a tribute to his late wife, who died of cancer aged 32.

“Throwing things and crawling through it, he just oozed art – he couldn’t help himself, and painting was his purpose in life.” — Pro Hart’s son Kym, after his father’s death.

“I want to say today that in the opinion of his family, my father was a legend.” — James Packer at Kerry Packer’s memorial service.

“A good old honest bastard who gave it his best shot – put that on my tombstone and I’m a happy man.” — Australian Democrats founder Don Chipp, who died aged 81.

“God takes the good but this time he took the best.” — A notice at Mildura’s Henderson Park, which became a makeshift shrine for six teenage victims of a hit and run tragedy in the Victorian town.

“Unfortunately, I announce my client won’t be answering bail. He was murdered last night. He died confident of his acquittal.” — Robert Richter, QC, on his client Mario Condello, who was facing trial for incitement to murder before being shot at his home in Melbourne.

“Scared, absolutely petrified.” — Christine Rush on how her son, Bali Nine drug mule Scott, feels about facing the firing squad in Indonesia.

“I’ve just got a smile on my face that won’t come off.” — Drug mule Renae Lawrence, after her life jail sentence was cut to 20 years on appeal.

“A lot of people think that we might be the most unlucky family in the world with two accidents, but I like to think the other way, that we’re probably the luckiest parents alive.” — Ron Delezio, as his daughter Sophie, five, left hospital after surviving her second near-fatal car accident.

“I imagine you are surprised to see me here.” — Australian climber Lincoln Hall, greeting climbers who found him alive on Mount Everest after he had been presumed dead.

“I said to myself, ‘I’m not dying here, I’m not dying here. It will take a bit more than a bit of rock to stop me’.” — Todd Russell on how he survived two weeks trapped in Tasmania’s
Beaconsfield mine cave-in.

“I wear a scar for this place and there is a big scab on it and every so often that scab might get kicked, but I carry a scar and I know I’ll carry it the rest of my life.” — Keith Moulton, who lost his daughter and two grandchildren at Port Arthur, on the 10th anniversary of the massacre in which 35 people were killed.

FRIENDS AND ENEMIES:
“I like very much Australia. I am a huge fanny of your country.” — Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, appearing as his alter ego, Kazakhstani TV reporter Borat.

“It’s great to be here. In fact, it’s great to be anywhere.” — Rolling Stone Keith Richards at the band’s Sydney concert.

“Just make it clear: we’re very, very close friends and we’ll leave it at that. OK?” — Golfer Greg Norman on his rumoured relationship with tennis ace Chris Evert.

“He reminds me of another man some 2,000 years ago who had the worst interpretations put upon His kindest actions, yet He went on; who had His words warped, twisted, falsely reported, minimised, yet He went on; was slighted, even laughed to scorn when He gave of His very best, yet He went on.” — Radio 2GB program director John Brennan, comparing Alan Jones to Jesus Christ following the release of a biography which “outed” the broadcaster.

“He caters to the prejudice of the masses and it’s a very clever thing to do, it’s a good way to get on.” — Australia’s highest-paid broadcaster John Laws on his more popular radio colleague, Alan Jones.

“Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.” — One of actor Mel Gibson’s controversial anti-Semitic statements made on his arrest for drink driving.

“I have thought about dropping a nuclear bomb on Sydney since Jelena lost in the first round this week, for which Australia is to blame.” – Damir Dokic on his estranged daughter’s loss in a lead-up tournament to the Australian tennis Open.

“Up Yours.” — British singer Elton John, on tour in Australia, on Prime Minister John Howard’s views on gay marriage.

POLITICS:
“Lazarus with a quadruple bypass.” — Kim Beazley, after losing the Labor leadership to Kevin Rudd, borrows a phrase from John Howard to play down his prospects of any return to the top.

“This fork in the road has emerged because John Howard has taken a bridge too far.” — Kevin Rudd mixes his metaphors in the excitement of victory.

“Everybody would like to be out as soon as possible. We all know it is going badly.” – Prime Minister Howard finally acknowledges Iraq is not panning out the way he wanted.

“They can have people like me, or they can have a party that is dominated by people like Brian Burke. It’s a choice.” — West Australian Premier Alan Carpenter delivers an ultimatum to the Labor Party. Burke, the disgraced former premier, resigned.

“All the charisma of a wet cat.” – Former Labor Party hopeful Naomi Parry on her then potential new boss, NSW Premier Morris Iemma.

“A whole production line of soulless apparatchiks has emerged: highly proficient and professional, but with no Labor soul … individuals who would rather the party lose an election than that they lose their place in the pecking order.” – Labor heavyweight Senator Robert Ray on his own party.

“If I am to die politically because of my stance on this bill, it is better to die on my feet than to live on my knees.” — Rebel coalition backbencher Russell Broadbent on his decision to cross the floor on proposed changes to migration laws.

“I don’t think I’ll be entering into any more agreements.” — Peter Costello, on the 1994 deal under which he said Mr Howard was to have handed him the Liberal leadership.

“I don’t recall guaranteeing that there would never be an interest rate movement.” Prime Minister John Howard. Rates have risen four times since he won the 2004 election.

“He may not be the prettiest person on the block, but when he tells you something you can take it to the bank.” — US President George W Bush on John Howard.

“I don’t think John should ever step down, I’m happy for him to go til he’s 80 or 100. I’m a big Howard fan.” — Western Sydney Liberal MP Jackie Kelly.

“What a silly, boring little man. His only function is to let you know what Harry Potter’s going to look like when he’s old.” — British comedian Billy Connolly on Prime Minister Howard.

AWB:
“John Howard can tell you what Don Bradman got in the second innings at Lord’s back in the 1930s but he can’t tell you whether or not he read a cable about a $300 million wheat-for-weapons scandal.” — Kevin Rudd, Labor’s then foreign affairs spokesman and later leader.

“Howard, Vaile, Downer – they’re like the three wise monkeys; they see no evil, they speak no evil, they hear no evil. But I believe they knew all about the evil.” – Kim Beazley before his demise as opposition leader. The Cole report cleared all government ministers of any knowledge of AWB’s payment of kickbacks to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s regime.

“We sent this deaf, gun-toting cowboy to clean up Iraq. Good grief.” – Opposition frontbencher Kelvin Thomson, on former AWB chairman Trevor Flugge.

“It would be the same sense of betrayal for some wheat growers that you would have if you discovered the parish priest was interfering with your kids.” — Liberal senator Bill Heffernan on
how Australian farmers feel about AWB.

“Beyond reticent, even forbidding.” — United Nations investigator Paul Volcker, on Australia’s initial lack of co-operation with his probe into the Iraq oil-for-food scandal.

VALUES:
“If you take uncovered meat and put it on the street without a cover and the cats eat it, is it the fault of the cat or the uncovered meat? … If the woman is … wearing the veil and if she shows modesty, disasters don’t happen.” — Sydney Muslim cleric Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali sparks outrage by suggesting immodestly dressed women provoke sexual attacks.

“I will place masking tape on my mouth in public for a period of six months.” — Sheik Alhilali suggests an unusual self-punishment if he is found to be guilty of inciting rape.

“The real cannibals in this are the commercial networks who are trying to consume each other’s audiences.” — Anthropologist Chris Ballard on Seven’s battle with Nine over the rescue of a Papuan boy from a “cannibal” tribe.

“How can the most influential Australian of all time be an American?” – Environmentalist Jack Mundey on Rupert Murdoch’s latest title.

“So where the bloody hell are you?” — Tag line of Australia’s $180 million international tourism campaign which puzzled and offended many foreigners.

“I want to buy the new model Ferrari, so I have to make more money now.” — Schapelle Corby’s Jakarta lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea quits her case.

“At least I know where my bloody kids are, even if they are in jail.” — Schapelle Corby’s mother Rosleigh Rose.

CLIMATE:
“This is shaping up to be the worst drought Australia has experienced.” — Treasurer Peter Costello.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m here with my sleeves rolled up and my waterproof boots on.” — Retired defence force chief Peter Cosgrove, beginning his new job coordinating the Cyclone Larry clean-up.

SPORT:
“My focus is my next two Test matches, trying to get the job done. And then I’ll sit back, have a few quiet beers and a couple of smokes, and try and weigh it all up and what the future holds.” ? Shane Warne looking forward to life post-international cricket.

“You can swim lap after lap, staring at a black line, and all of a sudden you look up and see what’s around.” – Ian Thorpe, 24, Australia’s most decorated Olympian, finds life after swimming.

“I’m a big believer that the coach is something you travel in to get to and from the game.” — Shane Warne on Australia’s cricket coach John Buchanan.

“When he wears the white umpires’ coat, he metamorphoses into a mini-Hitler.” — Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan on Australian Test umpire Darrell Hair, who accused Pakistanis of ball-tampering.

“Harry, well he is King Harry for all of us now.” — Prime Minister John Howard on Harry Kewell’s World Cup goal which earned a 2-2 draw with Croatia and a place in the final 16.

“There’s no justice in football.” — Socceroo coach Guus Hiddink after a controversial penalty ended his team’s glorious showing at the World Cup.

“Don’t slip the tongue in.” — Alice Mills to teammates as they received congratulatory kisses from John Howard at the Commonwealth Games 50m freestyle medal presentation.

“A lot of people don’t understand. I don’t understand … maybe I need to see people about it.” – Australian cricketer Shane Warne on his extra-marital indiscretions.

“With the cat fight, the bitch fight and whatever else was being said she came out and said there was no competition so I was standing behind the blocks saying ‘I’ll give you competition bitch’.” — Athlete Tamsyn Lewis on Commonwealth Games teammate Jana Pittman.

“My coach will be watching. I will be sleeping with my girlfriend.” — Cypriot tennis sensation Marcos Baghdatis, asked whether he would be watching a potential opponent in the Australian Open.

“I love rugby league, I love beer. It’s often discussed as a vulgar attitude to life but I think if you take beer and rugby league out of life there’s nothing left.” – Adman John Singleton buys into a brewery to sponsor the Newcastle Knights.

“The reception our lads received from the local ladies has been compared to a navy frigate docking in the harbour, and I have no doubt that several of the lads will not make it home, deciding to settle here, get married and have kids.” — Barmy Army chief Paul Burnham reveals English cricket fans have at least one thing to smile about.-AAP, 22 December, 2006