I know political leaders have sunken in the past 10 yeas on trading insults to each other, through many mediums.. Keating was the king of the put down in the Australian political arena. Done face to face, not across TV but face to face in the Chambers of Parliament and there is not a single one in the current lot who could ever match him. he had the sharpest tongue that none could better. Read a few:
On the Senate: “I would forbid him going to the Senate, to account to this unrepresentative swill over there…”
On the economy: “The accounts do show that Australia is in a recession. The most important thing about that is, is that this is the recession that Australia had to have.”
To Malaysian PM: “APEC is bigger than all of us – Australia, the U.S. and Malaysia and Dr. Mahathir and any other recalcitrants.”
On John Howard “The little desiccated coconut is under pressure and he is attacking anything he can get his hands on”
On John Howard “What we have got is a dead carcass, swinging in the breeze, but nobody will cut it down to replace him.”
On Howard’s 1996 election campaign: “Soon we will be at the stage where he will be offering us a free set of steak knives.”
On Peter Costello: “The thing about poor old Costello is he is all tip and no iceberg.”
On Peter Costello: “He’s the greatest L plater of all time.”
On Wilson Tuckey: “You boxhead you wouldn’t know. You are flat out counting past ten.”
On John Hewson: “(His performance) is like being flogged with a warm lettuce.”
On Andrew Peacock: “I suppose that the Honourable Gentleman’s hair, like his intellect, will recede into the darkness.”
On Andrew Peacock: “We’re not interested in the views of painted, perfumed gigolos.”
On Andrew Peacock: “Can a soufflé rise twice?”
To Richard Carleton: “You had an important place in Australian society on the ABC and you gave it up to be a pop star…with a big cheque…and now you’re on to this sort of stuff. That shows what a 24 carat pissant you are, Richard, that’s for sure.”
On Jim Carlton: “I was nearly chloroformed by the performance of the Honorable Member for Mackellar. It nearly put me right out for the afternoon.”
On the Libs: “Mr Speaker can I have some protection from the clowns on the front bench?”
On the Libs: “Those opposite could not operate a tart shop”
On Steele Hall: “The Honorable Member has been in so many parties he is a complete political harlot.”
To former ALP MP Jim McClelland: “That you Jim? Paul Keating here. Just because you swallowed a fucking dictionary when you were about 15 doesn’t give you the right to pour a bucket of shit over the rest of us.”