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July 18, 2003
What is the silliest thing a politician has said?
[Ed: Originally posted on Slumbering Pierrot, Jul 18]
Well ignoring the jokes and some of the current silliest (like suggesting that Australia become the 51st state in the USA) I think the first prize belongs to the former Queensland premier who had a major problem with mixed metaphores. The ultimate confusion was this howler which left everyone confused for years: I smell a rat, I see it floating in the air, I shall nip it in the bud. This was in reference to a question about corruption and brown paper bags being given to some of his ministers (who were later convicted).
The next silliest thing was probably the recent Labor party meeting (about 70 people?) which annouced that the winner of the leadership ballot was Simon Crean. Simon has only 36 supporters in the whole of Australia and they all happen to have a vote in that ballot :-)
Finally in a more serious tone there would have to be the stupidity of the (otherwise erudite) British prime minister Churchill who changed Australia permanently from a UK fixation to a USA fixation. The occasion was during the second world war after the Japanese bombed Darwin. The Australian prime minister (Curtin) asked the British prime minister to release some of the Australia troops currently serving in Europe, Africa and other parts so that they could help to defend Australia. Churchill is reputed to have said "Let Australia fall, if we want it later, we'll take it back again". Curtin responded by trying to get conscription going (failed), changing the army entry age range to 14-75 (was 18-40), and drawing up plans for the evacuation of the north (never activated).
Posted by Ozguru at July 18, 2003 07:07 AM
