Loose cannons

No argument

"... remarkably amenable to Kerry's suggestions. He very rarely argues about anything." — Trevor Kennedy on the success formula of Richard Walsh, managing director of Kerry Packer's Australian Consolidated Press.

Usually the last week?

"I find it absolutely staggering that the prime minister could embark on such a demeaning exercise at this stage of the campaign." — John Hewson on Paul Keating's ringing of radio stations to ask them to cover the resignation of the Canadian prime minister after a Canadian GST proved a disaster.

Or they'll be shot

"Teams of Federal Police will be outposted to Government Departments to ensure that they work effectively and independently." — Promise of the ALP on how to "fight fraud", as quoted in an approving advertisement by the Australian Federal Police Association.

Win-win situation

"The Federal Opposition's industrial relations policies are heading in the right direction ... Though you can expect the Government to continue to be extremely critical of the Opposition, we believe it will eventually head further in that direction if re-elected." — Business Council official Ian Salmon in the council's January-February Bulletin.

And making the trains run on time

"You may not agree with what is happening in Indonesia, you may not agree with what is happening in Singapore, in totality. But there is no doubt that Asian countries are providing their communities strong leadership, there is a clear path forward, and where the government has the strength to be able to back that up." — Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett, enthusing over dictatorial regimes in the region.

It's tempting

"Do Australians really want to hear their elected parliamentarians called 'scumbags'?" — Senator John Coulter's intriguing question during the launch of the Democrats' campaign.

From GLW issue 90