A Dictionary of New Zealand Political Quotations 2000

A small but valuable 130-page dictionary, this compilation of political anecdotes is an important historical document. It shows politicians taking themselves seriously as well as in fun, and it captures something of the Kiwiness in those who stand for public office. The senses of malevolence, egotism, and idealism in the political character are conveyed in this thematically-organised collection, in which Winston Peters is cited as saying of his control over his parliamentary office: ‘I run a tight operation, as tight as a drum. I’m the only person who knows what is going on there’.