Loose cannons

How we do it in the West

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development was set up three years ago to aid the battered economies of eastern Europe. According to Peter Smark, writing in the April 15 Sydney Morning Herald, the bank has so far lent about $200 million. Meanwhile, the costs for outfitting and running its London offices have reached $435 million.

On track

"The only achievement of the so-called reform is the growing crime rate." — Russian Vice-President Alexander Rutskoi on President Yeltsin's program of transition to capitalism.

And twisting the knife

"What we have got here is Labor providing the gallows. They are giving the noose to the independents; if they want to pull the trigger, that's their business." — NSW Premier John Fahey on a threatened motion of no confidence in one of his ministers.

Ultimate shareholder?

"I don't care what the public thinks, my conscience is clear. I'm answerable to God." — Failed entrepreneur Bruce Judge on the hundreds of millions of investors' dollars lost by his Ariadne and Judge corporations.

If only ...

"In other countries people would have been shot." — Failed entrepreneur Christopher Skase, criticising the federal government for having been too soft during the airline pilots' strike, which Skase blames for the collapse of his tourism empire.

Threat, or what?

"Personally, I think I will not go back to Australia until such a time ... in the future some government apologises to him." — Pixie Skase, agreeing that husband Christopher has been badly treated.

Recognition

"If Australia, with a history of little more than 200 years, has nothing to brag about culturally, at least it has a distinctive lavatory culture." — The Chinese Guangming Daily, trying to find something nice to say about us.

From GLW issue 96