The Ronald Reagan defence
“I have no memory of that.” — Former defence minister Peter Reith commenting on Prime Menzies John Howard's claim that he had asked Reith on November 7 if the claims made by government ministers a month earlier about “boat people” throwing their children overboard had been disproved.
Creative recording
“[NSW Grains Board] Finance manager Greg Broadfoot [told the Independent Commission into Corruption] he had created records of non-existent grain sales [in 1998] after the chief executive, Graham Lawrence, told him to inflate the profits by $3.5 million.” — Sydney Morning Herald, February 15.
Classless society
“The average chief executive officer in a major American corporation in 2001 made 531 times as much in pay, bonuses, and stock options as the average factory worker, according to the... Institute for Policy Studies and United for a Fair Economy.” — Orange County Register, California.
Also got the best corporate crooks in the world
“Our financial disclosure system is the best in the world.” — US Securities and Exchange Commission head Harvey Pitt testifying before the a US congressional committee investigating the Enron scandal.
From Green Left Weekly, February 20, 2002.
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