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While some people in government may be ‘genuine’ (there must be at
least one?), far too many put more emphasis on rhetoric than on truth… George
Orwell once (1946) argued that "political language has to consist largely
of euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness" and “such
language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder
respectable." These examples are for English-speaking politicians: undoubtedly they
are directly translatable into, and applicable in other languages. (a bumper sticker popular around
the world is ‘no matter who I vote for, a politician gets elected’) |
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When a politician says |
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A politician could mean |
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Public/Private partnership |
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A
process of the privatisation of taxation (which allows the government to
claim a reduction in taxation), where: ·
if they make a profit they get to keep it, ·
if they make a loss it comes out of the taxpayers’ money ·
if they don’t make an good profit we will make up the
difference (out of the taxpayers’ money) ·
if they go ‘belly up’, somebody else other than the government
can buy it dirt cheap and begin the process above again ·
see also ‘commercial in confidence’ |
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Confidential |
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Commercial in confidence’
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Sweetheart
deal |
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Confidential matter
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Something
to be ashamed of |
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Consultation |
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After consultation… (1) |
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The
big end of town tells us… |
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After consultation… (2) |
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My
Secretary told me… |
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After consultation… (3) |
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My
partner’s hairdresser’s next door neighbour says… |
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After consultation… (4) |
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A
standard clause we add to every press release in the hope that nobody will
ask… |
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After consultation… (5) |
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I
went to a photo opportunity and was in the group photo… |
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Meaningful consultation… |
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I
went to a photo opportunity and was in the group photo AND got a sound grab
on TV… |
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Public consultation |
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Photo
opportunity |
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Deep and meaningful consultation… |
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The
US State Department demands… |
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I have been misquoted |
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I
have changed my mind |
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That is out of context (1) |
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I
have changed my mind |
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That is out of context (2) |
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Nobody
is supposed to remember what I said yesterday |
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We want to be guided by the experts |
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We don’t want to take the blame - let them take the flack |
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We will have to go to desalination (of
water) |
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We cannot cope with the population |
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desalination |
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A retirement home (i.e. a seat on the board) for ex-MPs |
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Toll road |
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A retirement home (i.e. a seat on the board) for ex-MPs |
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The future fund |
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Financial security for parliamentary pensions |
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This would mean cuts in hospital and
education funding |
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You don’t seriously expect us to cut funding to our non-essential (pork barrelling) expenses |
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Expert opinion |
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Someone who agrees with me, or Anyone who agrees with me |
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Extremist |
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Anyone who disagrees with me |
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Immigration policy |
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Dealing with today’s headlines |
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Further coming initiatives |
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We will think of something (anything?) by tomorrow |
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15 Jan 2009 |
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‘…security…’ |
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Either:
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We must put politics aside |
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I am selling you a pig in a poke |
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Government |
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An ‘interesting’ word used to: · Obfuscate by attempting to blur the difference between the levels of government · Share the blame · Gain credit when it really means the taxpayers funds · Hide behind the (failed) Nuremburg defence principle |
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Consumers will be protected |
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My parliamentary superannuation will isolate me from the price increases |
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The Future |
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The next election |
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Far into the future |
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The next election |
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Leadership |
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‘Follow’ship |
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Look to the Future |
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Scramble back to the past |
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In reality |
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In some parallel universe |
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I am not in denial |
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I am in denial |
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They are in denial |
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They don’t agree with me |
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Strengthening democracy |
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Creating a police state |
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A true leader |
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A follower |
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An initiative |
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Something that did not work overseas |
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A major initiative |
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Something that did not work in many countries overseas, despite many attempts |
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A ground-breaking initiative |
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Something that did not work in many countries overseas, despite many attempts – and is going to cost a LOT of money |
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In the public interest (1) |
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I’m getting flack over this in the newspapers and on TV |
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In the public interest (2) |
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My mates can make money out of this |
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In the public interest (3) |
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There are votes in this |
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In the public interest (4) |
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I could get a seat on the board when I retire from politics |
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A matter of grave public interest |
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Will still be in the newspapers and on TV for a few more days |
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A matter of security (1) |
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I don’t know the answer |
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A matter of security (2) |
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I know the answer but I don’t want you to know |
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A matter of security (3) |
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We have not completed the cover up (yet) |
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A matter of security (4) |
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If everybody knew, I would lose the advantage |
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A matter of security (5) |
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We have not be told yet |
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A matter of security (6) |
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There is no answer |
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It’s a matter of principle |
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It’s about the money |
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The cost should not be a consideration |
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It’s about the money |
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This has been costed |
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The blow-out will be about 100% |
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This has been carefully costed |
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It will cost more than double |
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This has been fully costed |
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We don’t know how much but it will cost the earth |
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Of great financial benefit |
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It will run at a loss but we (meaning the taxpayer) will cover the deficit later in next year’s budget and nobody will notice |
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Fully budgeted |
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Buried in next year’s budget |
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Totally innocent |
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Will never be proven in court |
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Statesman |
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Another politician from my party |
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True statesman |
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Ex-politician from my party |
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Truly great statesman |
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Dead ex-politician from my party |
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Bit of a rogue |
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Mate (of questionable integrity) |
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Rogue |
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Politician from another political party |
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Outright rogue |
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Somebody from another political party who has been caught |
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Trust me |
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I hope you will, but I wouldn’t |
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In the fullness of time |
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Hopefully, after the next election |
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Immediate |
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Maybe the media will forget this in the next couple of days |
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Highest priority |
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Mañana |
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High priority |
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Even later than mañana |
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Priority |
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After the next election |
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Some urgency |
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Not in my lifetime |
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Support |
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A term of unknown meaning (used whenever possible) |
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Full support |
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Meaningless term |
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Full and total support for… |
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I am close to getting the needed number of votes to roll him |
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Without question |
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Questionable |
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Without question by any reasonable person |
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Highly questionable |
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Major impact |
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Will benefit the big end of town |
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Marginal impact |
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Will help us win in a marginal electorate |
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If you leave the politics out of it |
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It’s about politics |
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Voluntary compliance (1) |
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(when applied to the general public) Compulsory |
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Voluntary compliance (2) |
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(when applied to mates) Un-enforceable by law |
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Voluntary compliance (3) |
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(internationally) The media will find something else in the next few days |
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United Nations Convention (1) |
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Something that seems a good idea at the time |
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United Nations Convention (2) |
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Thing to be quoted when it supports my case |
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United Nations Convention (3) |
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Thing to be explained away when it does not support my case |
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We have made the hard decision |
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We have taken the easy way out |
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We have a mandate for… (1) |
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We won the election, even though most people were against… |
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We have a mandate for… (2) |
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We won the election, proving that you can fool enough of the people some of the time |
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Carbon trading scheme |
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Government-backed scheme for making very rich people even richer |
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Carbon Tax |
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Government-backed scheme for making very rich people even richer |
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Carbon pricing |
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Government-backed scheme for making very rich people even richer |