Loose cannons

April 22, 1998
Issue 

Loose cannons

Expertise

"He knows every scam in the book and has done most of them himself, so if anyone understands this economy, he does." — A Jakarta executive commenting on the Suharto crony and newly appointed minister of trade and industry, Mohammad "Bob" Hasan.

Helpful

"I think having a well-connected local partner in any part of the world is helpful." — Australian capitalist Michael Nettlefold, a business partner of Tommy Suharto, son of the Indonesian president.

Well, yes

"The country [Indonesia] would not be what it is today if not for them [Suharto's family]." — Michael Nettlefold.

Diddums!

"Pretty hurt." — Foreign minister Alexander Downer on how he felt upon learning that the Suharto dictatorship backed the Malaysian veto of Australian membership of the Asia-Europe Summit.

... and then to lie about them

"We are living in ... a political era when the public expects those in government to ... take difficult decisions." — Prime Menzies John Howard, trying to encourage the party room.

Stop press

"The world's leading regulators [the US Treasury and IMF] have decided that greed is in good supply in the world's financial system ..." — Peter Hartcher in the Financial Review.

Let us prey

"This makes us look like idiots." — The executive director of the Kentucky (USA) Council of Churches, after the state legislature passed a law allowing clergy to carry concealed weapons in church.

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