Loose cannons

Find the obscenity

"Our value system is different. Pornography, and all types of writings and the graphics, including those that attack people and government, are accessible to net users." — Malaysian information minister Mohamed Rahmat, discussing hopes of censoring the internet.

Same principle as NSW police

"There is no better gamekeeper than the one who was a poacher." — MP, Wilson "Ironbar" Tuckey, the most often ejected member of federal parliament, on his plans to stand for the position of speaker.

In the playground

"If the bully boys are going to continue to play the numbers game, we'll have to consider whether we stay in the playground." — Ian West, candidate of the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers' Union to fill a vacancy in the NSW upper house, threatening to pull out of the ALP "left" faction if the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union uses its numbers in the faction to put in its candidate.

No pressure

"This bit about the staff not being happy or being pressured, I don't believe that. If people don't want to work there they can leave." — Murwillumbah NSW businessman, quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald, on reports that staff of Tweed Valley Food Processors were coerced into signing a non-union enterprise agreement.

More productive harassment?

"Management has to treat sexual harassment the way it does something like productivity — what's good for the company is good for the workers, and vice versa." — Moira Rayner, former equal opportunity commissioner of Victoria, quoted in the March 19 Bulletin.

Innocence

"In all innocence, people thought other people were good blokes and therefore everything was all right, when quite clearly it wasn't." — Queensland National Premier Rob Borbidge on the corruption that occurred under the last National state government.

From GLW issue 224