Leaders hope the road to victory includes a picturesque moment when you lose your way

INSTRUCTIONS for political apology: be vague and tell everyone you've righted the old ship government.

Losing the way. Kristina Keneally on February 6:

AND while this state government has achieved some great things for families, many would say that we recently lost our way. And they would be right. We lost our way because we were too focused on ourselves and not enough on what matters to families in this state. And for that I am sorry.

Sound familiar? Julia Gillard on June 24, 2010:

GILLARD: I think I've made clear my reasons for taking this position. I came to the view that a good government was losing its way. I think that this has been a good government but I do believe we have lost our way.

Love that levy. Labor MP Bernie Ripoll yesterday:

LOOK, this is a really important week this week. This week we need to pass through the parliament the levy. The levy is going to be really important to rebuild Queensland. We need the support of the parliament. We need Tony Abbott to actually come out and back the levy to make sure that this can be done.

Oops. Lost the way. Bernie Ripoll in parliament, March 19, 2003:

THIS is also the highest taxing government in history -- not only in direct taxes but also in indirect taxes through the GST and other taxes. There has been the sugar levy, the airline ticket levy, the milk levy, gun levies and the East Timor levies. It is prepared to introduce more taxes and more levies and rip money out of the pockets of ordinary families, but it does not know how to spend it properly. This is a government that is out of control, that has lost its way, that has forgotten the battlers it talked about when it first came to office -- the Howard battlers.

The Prime Minister with Neil Mitchell on 3AW, January 28:

MITCHELL: You ran the Building the Education Revolution, and it was an absolute disaster.

PM: Neil, what nonsense. Three per cent of schools complained.

Editorial in The Australian's on February 2:

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard fairly bristled and complained last week when 3AW's Neil Mitchell gave voice to the public's concerns about wasteful spending. Such denials will not reassure the public as they consider the flood levy. On the contrary, they are likely to heighten public doubts. Taxpayers are entitled to expect their tax dollars will always deliver value for money, an expectation their elected representatives should embrace.

BER taskforce chair Brad Orgill yesterday:

I THINK that your editorial a week or so ago where The Australian suggested it was important the government take note of the lessons of the Building the Education Revolution and apply them looking forward is reflective of my involvement in both the BER and now in the Queensland Reconstruction Authority. I think that they are both big programs and, as I say, I look forward to being on the board.

ABC News online yesterday:

THE latest Newspoll shows 55 per cent of those people who will be paying the flood levy are in support of the policy.

Er no. Labor Party website. FAQs about the flood levy:

THE levy will be designed so that low-income earners do not pay anything. The levy will apply at 0.5 per cent of taxable income in excess of $50,000, and 1 per cent of taxable income in excess of $100,000. No levy is payable where the person has income of $50,000 or less.

The Australian yesterday:

QUESTION: Based on what you currently know, are you in favour or against the federal government introducing a [flood] levy?

Total in favour 55 per cent. The survey is based on adults aged 18 years and over.

Host Sandi Toksvig on BBC Radio 4's The News Quiz on Saturday:

I'M not too keen on the Muslim Brotherhood taking over. I don't mind the Muslim part, it's the nepotism.

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