Loose cannons

That's what they all say

"Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child." — US Vice President Dan Quayle.

Only new ones?

"New Members of Parliament should complete an induction program to teach them how to behave ethically, the [NSW] Independent Commission Against Corruption has proposed." — Sydney Morning Herald, April 10.

Very loose cannon

-2>"As president of the United States I carried no wallet, no money, no driver's licence, no keys in my pockets — only secret codes that were capable of bringing about the annihilation of much of the world as we know it ..." — Ronald Reagan in his biography, An American Life.0>

Democracy at work

"Probably a large proportion of Cabinet has this feeling. They just think it's very hard to have a full-blown discussion in Cabinet on economic policy ... they are scared to bring it up. Keating just barrels them." — An anonymous Hawke government minister speaking to the Sydney Sun Herald, April 14.

Generosity

"It is entirely possible that at the luncheon the gold tax was discussed ... But the point is that, as far as I'm concerned, and I'm glad that the record confirms this, I gave no private commitment at that luncheon." — Bob Hawke, discussing his June 1987 lunch with Laurie Connell, Brian Burke and other Perth "business figures", after which Connell donated $250,000 to the ALP.

Certainty

"What I have been absolutely certain about, I mean I just know myself, I don't operate that way. I knew that I had given no private commitment." — Bob Hawke on the (in)famous lunch with Connell.

From GLW issue 8