Loose cannons

Lenin was right

"One of the first people internationally to define the Labor Party was Vladimir Ilyich Lenin when he described the Labor Party in 1913 as altogether bourgeois and altogether Liberal." — ALP leader Kim Beazley.

Not far at all

"Self-interest is what moves market forces, and self-interest is not far divorced from greed." — Malaysian Prime Minister Mohamad Mahathir, having second thoughts about this capitalism thing.

Fashions

"Confidence and optimism are out, and uncertainty and gloom are in." — Thai PM Chuan Leekpai on south-east Asian economic prospects.

Persuasive

"I think you will see Bob Debus, when he has looked at the arguments, emerge as a persuasive advocate for what I want [electricity privatisation]." — NSW Premier Bob Carr, after appointing Debus, a senior member of the left faction, which opposes privatisation, as the new minister for energy.

Fed up

"The average Australian is saying to me, 'Get the thing through, get it out of the way, we are fed up hearing about it'." — Prime Menzies John Howard on his Wik bill, a few days before deciding that public opposition required him to make an "address to the nation" about it.

Go Johnnie go!

"... one associate said last night that [PNG PM Bill] Skate on occasions said 'silly things' when he had been drinking. 'We say it's Johnnie Walker talking, not Bill.'" — Sydney Morning Herald, November 29, reporting on a videotape in which Skate appears to boast of having murdered someone.

From GLW issue 300