Loose cannons

Like a dog to a hydrant

"The West Australian Democrats leader, MLC Ms Helen Hodgson ... said ... [the Democrats' GST deal with the federal government] gave 'a leg up to the poor'." — Sydney Morning Herald, May 31.

Opportunity knocks

"Billions of dollars will flow into the region ... The European Union estimates $3.5 billion will be needed to rebuild Kosovo alone. If you have equipment and/or services which can be used to rebuild this region, you will find the information you need in Jane's Balkans Reconstruction Report." — Advertisement for a new publication.

She's worked for worse

"Basically, there's nothing that prevents one from talking to an indicted war criminal." — US secretary of state Madeleine Albright.

Peacekeeping

"A peacekeeping force ... does not mean that things immediately get better. We have had examples of peacekeeping forces in countries where wars got worse." — NATO spokesperson Jamie Shea.

Unlike who?

"Unlike Labor, we do not bind ourselves to policy determined by the wider membership." — NSW Liberal deputy leader Barry O'Farrell.

Why he gets on with Howard

"[Indonesian President Habibie] is a businessman, and a very naive and narrow-minded one. He considers Indonesia is an enterprise. If one part of production is losing money, why don't you sell it?" — A member of a Jakarta think-tank, quoted in the June 2 Sydney Morning Herald.

Resonance

"You could almost call us an Asian tiger, but it doesn't quite have the same resonance these days." — A senior economist for Deutsche Morgan Grenfell bank, commenting on growth figures for the Australian economy.

That's the government's job

"We are not about to see people coming from abroad to vilify aspects of the Australian community." — Immigration minister Philip Ruddock, on denying visas to US white supremacists.

From GLW issue 364