"I believe there is a racial divide in this country. I am not altogether certain the 'Big Conversation' as it is now applied is going to bring about 'healing'. I see the big conversation initially as to be shock therapy, to shock people out of their denial that there is a problem. It had that effect." – Sacked Cabinet Minister Wayne Perinchief speaking about how his progressive stand on gay rights and race relations may have helped to get him the boot. (January 8)

"At this present time I am not sure how I will serve, but I have been overwhelmed with support from people, colleagues and friends. People called and said: 'I am a PLP supporter', but they don't want to see me out of politics." – Michael Dunkley reflecting on his party's defeat in the December 2007 election.

"I'm shocked that we live in a place where Government can engineer a change of people and yet the activity can go on as before. They (Government) put a menu in front of us that we could not meet and it was then inevitable that we had to go." – Jim Mr. Butterfield, former Bermuda Cement Company president, after signing away his stake in the company.

"One of the things women are saying now is: 'Are we moving forward or are we moving backward when our Caribbean counterparts are moving forward with representation of women in Cabinet?"– Ousted Environment Minister Neletha Butterfield speaking about the under-representation of women in Cabinet. Deputy Premier Paula Cox and Attorney General Kim Wilson had recently become the only female members of Premier Ewart Brown's team – alongside eight men.

"They need to focus on the unsolved murders. They stopped me one time on the causeway in St. George's looking to see if I have weapons. I was going to visit Shaki's gravesite. They need to stop worrying about these petty things like tint on the cars and go solve the murders." – Shaki Crockwell's father speaking about the launch of Operation Safer Streets, a crack-down on community violence. Shaki was shot dead in the Railway Trail of Devonshire on August 24, 2007.