Loose cannons

At last, the truth

"The other thing I'd like to stress is the fulsome commitment of my government to the process of reconciliation." — Prime Menzies John Howard in his "speech to the nation" on the Wik legislation.

Memo to a speech writer

"fulsome: offensive to good taste, esp. as being excessive; gross; insincere" — Macquarie Dictionary.

Impressive

"Skate was very impressed, because Mujo was a millionaire and had lots of guns." — An associate of Australian business person Mujo Sefa, quoted in the December 1 Sydney Morning Herald, on the latter's relations with the PNG prime minister, whom Sefa has now accused of corruption.

Benefits of competition

"There are more pushers and they are undercutting each other." — The secretary-general of Thailand's Office of Narcotics Control Board, explaining why the price of illegal amphetamines has dropped since the start of the country's economic crisis.

And not much else

"Long live Gorbachev, who brought us Pizza Hut!" — Customers in a new Russian TV commercial that shows the former Soviet president handing them pizzas.

Transplants wanted

"I haven't persuaded a sufficient bloc to change its heart yet." — NSW Labor Premier Bob Carr, acknowledging that he's still trying to persuade the party to privatise the state's electricity industry.

From GLW issue 301