Loose cannons

Virtual monarch

"We all know she doesn't really exist any more, but we can't quite bring ourselves to tell her or admit it." — New Zealand Herald columnist Brian Budman, on Queen Elizabeth II.

Perish the thought!

"I would have thought that it would be inappropriate to envisage that a bunch of bureaucrats would be making policy on behalf of an elected government." — Treasury executive director Dr Martin Parkinson commenting on the revelations that the Treasury department has lost $3 billion speculating on international currency markets.

Must be an election coming up

"US aircraft over southern Afghanistan have scattered $100 bills tucked into envelopes bearing a picture of President George W. Bush, witnesses said on Thursday." — February 14 Reuters report.

Don't mention the war

"For a century and a half now, America and Japan have formed one of the great and enduring alliances of modern times. From that alliance has come an era of peace in the Pacific." — George "The Crusader" Bush speaking to Japanese parliament, February 18.

From Green Left Weekly, February 27, 2002.

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From GLW issue 482