Loose cannons

True non-believers

"Just because it's in the agenda doesn't mean it is something we believe in or something we're pushing." — Steven Ciobo, Queensland president of the Young Liberals, after the group's state conference rejected a motion to fine women for breastfeeding in public.

No fervour please

"It would be good if [a change to a republic] took place under Mr Howard, which would mean it would be done in a cautious, careful manner, rather than being led by someone with a fervour." — Charles Goode, ANZ Bank chair, cautiously backing a republic.

Advice

"Investors cannot afford to ignore this market." — US brokers Merrill Lynch on Brazilian shares, two days before the Brazilian currency was devalued and the Brazilian share market fell 10%.

Real people

"These are not comments coming from the traditional unwashed greenies; they are from decent WA and Australian citizens." — WA Liberal Senator Ross Lightfoot, urging the government to go slow on a regional forest agreement because of opposition to logging of old-growth forests.

Beyond perjury?

"In his address, Mr Clinton ... laid out an expansive set of new domestic initiatives in health, education, crime, and military spending." — Financial Review, January 21.

Oil had nothing to do with it

"Whitlam disliked mini-States. He disliked an untidy map." — Sydney Morning Herald Asia editor David Jenkins on the Whitlam Labor government giving "a wink and a nod" to Indonesia's plans to invade East Timor in 1975.

Encouragement

"My view was that it might encourage them to consider their votes for Sydney." — John Coates, president of the Australian Olympic Committee, acknowledging that he had offered Kanya and Uganda $50,000 towards sports programs the night before the vote that gave Sydney the 2000 Olympics.

From GLW issue 346