Loose cannons

Issue 

Feverish

"We are confident that by 2000, when Olympics fever has again gripped Australia, few will let this opportunity escape." — A spokesperson for the Olympic organising committee, commenting on a poll which showed that 8% of Sydneysiders plan to attend an Olympic event and 39% plan to leave the city for the duration.

Now they tell us

"The [government's] tax package is about eliminating business costs." — Peter Verwer, chief executive of the Property Council.

Openness

"So open in capturing the aspirations of the people." — Indonesian President B.J. Habibie (Suharto II) on the People's Consultative Assembly. He had to be helicoptered in to deliver a speech to the assembly because demonstrators had clogged the streets outside the parliament building.

Convenient

"The myth of Soviet missile superiority was convenient for both the Kremlin and the American military-industrial complex, which was getting huge contracts." — The Russian magazine Vlast, revealing that missiles displayed during Soviet May Day parades were mostly dummies or rockets that never worked.

With headquarters in London

"We will encourage them to form a common vision of a future democratic Iraq." — A British government official, announcing that the Blair government was summoning a meeting of 15 Iraqi opposition groups.

Sweet smell of failure

"Their PR, their management of this issue, has been appalling." — Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett, criticising sugar giant CSR after it was forced to back down on establishing a toxic waste dump in Werribee, Victoria.

Fancy that!

"They seemed to want to protect the industry and some of its worst practices instead of putting public health as a primary concern." — Edwina Currie, formerly a junior health minister in the Thatcher government, on the British agriculture ministry's attitude to food safety.

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