Loose cannons

And then ignore it

"You don't need it on all of those things. There are always areas where you take public advice." — Treasurer Peter Costello, suggesting that food and other necessities would be exempt from a GST, two weeks after saying he favoured no exemptions.

Surprise!

"Our preference is for the removal of taxes on business, including payroll, rather than income tax cuts." — David Purchase of the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce, commenting on Costello's claim that a GST would finance income tax cuts.

Better than brand X

"We are immensely pleased and proud to handle the ALP. It's a terrific brand name ..." — Sandra Yates, chair of the ALP's new advertising agency, Saatchi & Saatchi.

Unrealistic

"It is improper or unrealistic to judge China's democracy and legal system and human rights conditions by western standards." — Chinese Premier Li Peng, in an interview with the official New China News Agency.

Stability and mass destruction

"I think we promote stability by assisting them with their defences." — Gilbert Decker, a US army official at an arms fair in Abu Dhabi. The US had 42.6% of the international arms trade in 1996.

Doing it hard

"I have come to feel acutely the meaning of the saying, 'Reforms are more difficult than revolution'." — Kim Young-sam, retiring president of South Korea, who campaigned against corruption but whose son was last year convicted of accepting bribes.

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From GLW issue 307