Loose cannons

Aid objectives

"The [Australian] Government reached a view that UNIDO's [United Nations Industrial Development Organisation] programs were not consistent with Australian aid objectives and not enough Australian firms benefited from aid contracts." — Sydney Morning Herald, May 10.

Always, troublesome minorities

"If we were to move to 25% of Fairfax initially, how do you force the owners of 75% minority shareholding to dispose of an asset that they don't want to dispose of?" — James Packer, rejecting the idea of a Packer takeover of Fairfax being made conditional on selling off the Financial Review.

Some people

"In the course of reform and opening up and developing the socialist market economy, for various reasons, the party's fine tradition and style of hard work and thrift have faded from the memories of quite a number of party members and officials. It is almost in vogue ... to go in for pomp, extravagance and lavish spending. Some people wallow in material comforts, luxury and dissipation, and the situation is horrifying." — Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

More outspoken than some

"[He has an] aggressively outspoken position on migrant and Aboriginal issues." — Liberal federal MP Tony Abbott, on David Oldfield. Abbott apparently didn't notice those characteristics until Oldfield resigned from his staff to become Pauline Hanson's new chief adviser.

Core promise

"No."" — Prime Menzies John Howard, asked in parliament if the Liberals would put Pauline Hanson's One Nation party below the ALP on their preference list in the next federal election.

From GLW issue 275