Loose cannons

Loose cannons

Expertise

"He knows every scam in the book and has done most of them himself, so if anyone understands this economy, he does." — A Jakarta executive commenting on the Suharto crony and newly appointed minister of trade and industry, Mohammad "Bob" Hasan.

Helpful

"I think having a well-connected local partner in any part of the world is helpful." — Australian capitalist Michael Nettlefold, a business partner of Tommy Suharto, son of the Indonesian president.

Well, yes

"The country [Indonesia] would not be what it is today if not for them [Suharto's family]." — Michael Nettlefold.

Diddums!

"Pretty hurt." — Foreign minister Alexander Downer on how he felt upon learning that the Suharto dictatorship backed the Malaysian veto of Australian membership of the Asia-Europe Summit.

... and then to lie about them

"We are living in ... a political era when the public expects those in government to ... take difficult decisions." — Prime Menzies John Howard, trying to encourage the party room.

Stop press

"The world's leading regulators [the US Treasury and IMF] have decided that greed is in good supply in the world's financial system ..." — Peter Hartcher in the Financial Review.

Let us prey

"This makes us look like idiots." — The executive director of the Kentucky (USA) Council of Churches, after the state legislature passed a law allowing clergy to carry concealed weapons in church.

From GLW issue 314