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Hewson: I ask the Prime Minister: if you are so confident about your view of Fightback, why will you not call an early election? Keating: The answer is, mate, because I want to do you slowly. There has to be a bit of sport in this for all of us. In the psychological battle stakes, we are stripped down and ready to go. I want to see those ashen-faced performances; I want more of them. I want to be encouraged. I want to see you squirm out of this load of rubbish over a number of months. There will be no easy execution for you. You have perpetrated one of the great mischiefs on the Australian public with this thing, trying to rip away our social wage, trying to rip away the Australian values which we built in our society for over a century.

Paul Keating#33

PoliticsPolicyStrategyCompetition

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About this quote

What does it mean?
Keating relishes the psychological battle against an opponent, promising a long and difficult process to expose flawed policies.
In plain terms
He will take his time to defeat the opposition and show their plans are bad.
What can you take from it?
Use time and scrutiny to expose weak policies.

Where it applies

  • elections
  • political campaigns
  • negotiations

Putting it to work

  • delay victory for effect
  • expose flaws gradually
  • maintain pressure

Questions to consider

  • Is dragging out an opponent beneficial for the public?
  • When does political theater cross the line?

Another view

It personalizes policy disputes and could prolong uncertainty.

More from Paul Keating

  1. An abacus gone feral.

    Permalink to quote #32

  2. I was implying that the Honourable Member for Wentworth was like a lizard on a rock - alive, but looking dead.

    Permalink to quote #34

  3. Like an Easter Island statue with an arse full of razor blades.

    Permalink to quote #31

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