Loose cannons

Wednesday, August 4, 1999 - 10:00

Here comes the revolution

"Like aristocrats joining a revolution in order to temper its excesses — useful fools, Lenin called them — these so-called 'conservatives' claim that it is necessary to support the Turnbull-Keating republic at the coming referendum in order to stop the far more dangerous Mack-Cleary republic emerging a few years later." — Federal Liberal MP and monarchist Tony Abbott, on Conservatives for an Australian Head of State.

Design

"Japan's anti-pollution measures have always been designed to protect industry instead of the public health." — Kazuki Kumamoto, professor of environmental policy at Maiji Gauin University in Tokyo.

Reputation

"2UE prizes its reputation for integrity and fairness above all else." — Radio 2UE chairperson John Conde, setting up a council to look into questions raised by the John Laws-bank scandal.

Sack him!

"If there are ways we can perform better, then we want to know!" — Conde, on the same subject.

Pride

"If you have a personal endorsement or if you have ... a long-term client of a radio station, there is a reasonable expectation that there is a great pride in the connection." — Adelaide radio talkback host Jeremy Cordeaux, explaining why he regularly uses comment from four companies with which he has commercial agreements.

Be prepared

"Sub-machine guns and ammo being sent by regular courier leaving Washington 0700 hours ..." — From CIA preparations for the inauguration of Chilean President Salvador Allende in 1970, quoted in the Guardian Weekly.

Terminally forgetful?

"... the people who promote this bill are either terminally evil or terminally stupid ..." — South Australian Democrat leader Mike Elliott on a bill to "harmonise" the state's legislation with the Workplace Relations Act, passed only with the support of Democrats in federal parliament.

Wasted

"Eventually, this is what our cities will become. There is so much wasted space out there." — Developer Doug MacLatchy, after South Sydney Council rejected his proposal to build a bridge, topped by 14 apartments, over a stretch of Oxford Street.