What they said

Herman Grech compiles some of the memorable and controversial comments quoted in 2008 in The Sunday Times' weekly interview slot.

'I have no regrets' - Former Labour Party leader Alfred Sant (February 24)

'We held internal discussions (in 1997) and believed it was high time to remove the EU freeze' - Labour leadership contender George Abela (April 13)

'This government will last the full term. It would be a disaster for this country to go for an early election' - Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi (May 4)

'The worst thing that can happen to the PN is that it continues winning without a constructive Labour Party' - Former PN general secretary Joe Saliba (June 15)

'I look forward to being a Labour Prime Minister at 39' - Labour leader Joseph Muscat (March 23)

'If the media wasn't so cruel, I would have enjoyed working on this board' - Former Maltasong chairman Robert Abela (June 8)

'There were particular ministers issuing particular permits to particular families (on the eve of the election)' - Labour deputy leader Anglu Farrugia (June 22)

'I hope Lordi hear about me and accept my offer to sing together' - Malta's Eurovision representative Morena (April 27)

'At the moment I find that Mepa tends to sway towards the developer' - Mepa audit officer Joe Falzon (May 11)

'Sometimes, artists find it difficult because they're not accepted in their own country. I take this privilege to heart' - Tenor Joseph Calleja (June 29)

'There are no small and big countries. We talk about sincere countries - and Malta is a sincere country' - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas

'If a Presidential pardon is granted, the public should have the opportunity to find out why it was granted' - Chief Justice Vincent De Gaetano (September 7) (July 27)

'I was looking for support - and I was thrown to the sharks' - Former Ambassador to Ireland Richard Muscat (November 23)

'I am not prepared to allow any officer to tarnish the image of the police force. That element needs to be removed' - Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici (July 6)

'I am not aware of any shots being fired, but, yes, there was an argument with Sicilian purse seiners around mid-June' - Fisheries Cooperative President Ray Bugeja (August 3)

'I yelled to the driver to reverse, but looming large in the rear view mirror was another gun-toting militant' - Ex-hostage in Nigeria George Scerri (August 10)

'Without hunting there would be fewer birds' - Hunters' Federation PRO Joe Perici Calascione (October 12)

'Mater Dei is a €600 million part-time hospital' - Social Policy Minister John Dalli (July 13)

'Il-Bully enjoys a lot of things which others do not, including access to the prison director' - Former Prison Board Chairman Mario Felice (August 24)

'When the anti-VAT proposal was raised in 1994 I should have resigned, but I didn't. I was an idiot' - Former Labour minister Lino Spiteri (September 21)