Loose cannons

Nicer

@lctext = "We want to make nice nuclear weapons, more efficient nuclear weapons." — Jean Lichere, director of the French Atomic Energy Commission.

Geography lesson

@lctext = "Where is our test site? In the middle of the South Pacific Ocean; we are in the largest desert of earth. We are very far from the principal countries. We are also very far from our mother country." — General Paul Vericel, commander of the French nuclear test site at Moruroa.

True love

@lctext = "Our personal relationship hasn't missed a beat through all of this." — Foreign minister Gareth Evans on his relationship with Ali Alatas, foreign minister of the Indonesian dictatorship, following the kafuffle caused by Jakarta's appointment of a public apologist for mass murder as its ambassador to Canberra.

Democratic choice

@lctext = "Martin Ferguson will be the endorsed candidate one way or another." — Greg Sword, secretary of the National Union of Workers, forecasting that the ALP national executive will overrule the Batman preselection panel if it doesn't select His ACTUship for the safe Labor seat.

Puzzled

@lctext = "It puzzles and frustrates me." — Queensland Premier Wayne Goss, asked by the Bulletin about the reason for the big election swing against the ALP.

The votes that matter

@lctext = "To this day I would bet I could walk into any boardroom and know more people than Frank does, and I have known them for eight or nine years." — Sydney lord mayoral candidate Kathryn Greiner, explaining her qualifications over those of current Lord Mayor Frank Sartor.

From GLW issue 197