Offensive?
"I certainly won't be going to any of those discussions in any kind of defensive, anxious mode on that particular subject, far from it." — Prime Menzies John Howard, asked if the race "debate" in Australia made it necessary for him to discuss the issue with Asian leaders at the APEC summit.
Bash for Christ
"We believe God sanctions the use of corporal punishment." — Dr Peter Barnes, chair of the Nambucca Valley Christian Community School, which is leading efforts by 40 Christian schools to stop NSW legislation banning corporal punishment.
Due haste
"The government has made it clear that it believes that the benefits of the easing of official [interest] rates should be passed on to small business and passed on with all due haste." — Treasurer Peter Costello, commenting on the fact that banks in 1994 took 20 days to pass on interest rate increases to small business borrowers but took 47 to 54 days this year to pass on rate reductions.
Optimist
"I thought we had made better progress than we had." — Former NSW police commissioner Tony Lauer, on his surprise at the corruption that has been revealed by the Wood royal commission into police.
Busy, busy, busy
"I think it is a long bow for Justice Wood to draw to say that the association has done nothing about corruption. The same thing could be said about the Law Society and the judges themselves." — Terry O'Connell, deputy president of the NSW Police Association, defending the reputation of honest coppers, wherever they may have been hiding.
Doing it tough
"It's no joy to us with this economy at the moment. It is really the toughest I've ever known it in my working career." — John Gough, president of Pacific Dunlop, nevertheless predicting that the company's 1996-97 profits would surpass the $349 million of 1995-96.