Flogged with a warm lettuce

 Q: In 1992, who said John Hewson's motion was like "being flogged with a warm lettuce"?

A: Paul Keating

When it comes to politicians who leave a mark, Paul Keating is in a league of his own. The former Australian Prime Minister had a way with words that was both mesmerising and mischievous. Here are some of our favourite quotes:

On Paul Hewson:

• 'I wanna do you slowly. And in the psychological battle stakes, we are stripped down and ready to go'
• 'He’s like a shiver waiting for a spine to run up.'
• 'I was implying that the Honorable Member for Wentworth was like a lizard on a rock - alive, but looking dead.'

 On Andrew Peacock:

• 'The Liberal Party of Australia ought to put him down like a faithful old dog because he is of no use to it and of no use to the nation'
• 'A painted, perfumed gigolo'
• 'I suppose that the Honourable Gentleman's hair, like his intellect, will recede into the darkness.'
• '...what we have here is an intellectual rust bucket.'

On Peter Costello:

• 'He’s all tip and no iceberg'

On John Howard:

• 'He's wound up like a thousand-day clock! One (more half) turn and there'll be springs and sprockets all over the building. Mr Speaker, give him a valium.'
• 'The little desiccated coconut's under pressure and he's attacking anything he can get his hands on.'
• 'Soon we will be at the stage where he will be offering us a free set of steak knives'
• 'I am not like the Leader of the Opposition. I did not slither out of the Cabinet room like a mangy maggot...'

On Wilson Tuckey:

• 'You boxhead you wouldn't know. You are flat out counting past ten.'