Loose cannons

Issue 

No sources

"I was looking to do the story yesterday, but I found it very difficult to get anything." — Raymond Snoddy, media editor of the Murdoch-owned London Times, on why the paper hadn't covered former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten's dispute with Murdoch-owned HarperCollins over alleged censorship of Patten's book on China.

That will need a few more trillion

"We do not as yet fully understand the new system's dynamics." — US Federal Reserve chair Alan Greenspan on the international financial system.

Greenspan is, isn't he?

"Whatever else may be said of the chairman, he is not God." — Lawyers for Crown Casino on its chairman, Lloyd Williams, in a letter to the Australian Stock Exchange, regarding claims that Williams withheld information from the market.

Cleaning up

"When we do deforestation, we do organised burning. Organised burning means we clean up the shrubs, we clean up the grass, because if you do not clean the shrubs, it might become a fire hazard." — Bob Hasan, Indonesian timber tycoon and Suharto crony, admitting that his companies have something to do with starting fires.

Hasan isn't enough?

"The essential qualifications to be Indonesia's vice- president are a low profile and a good supply of jokes to entertain President Suharto, outgoing Vice-President Try Sutrisno has said." — Reuters, February 28.

Not what we had in mind

"The statute gives him unlimited budget and unlimited power and unlimited scope, and somehow he has exceeded them all." — A counsellor to US President Bill Clinton, on special prosecutor Kenneth Starr.

Found one already

"I'm confident I'm capable of running these services; otherwise, the government wouldn't have had the confidence in me." — Khadar Roude, whose unincorporated company, which has no staff and no office, has been awarded a $1 million federal contract to find jobs for people in western Sydney.

If you like our work, become a supporter

Green Left is a vital social-change project and aims to make all content available online, without paywalls. With no corporate sponsors or advertising, we rely on support and donations from readers like you.

For just $5 per month get the Green Left digital edition in your inbox each week. For $10 per month get the above and the print edition delivered to your door. You can also add a donation to your support by choosing the solidarity option of $20 per month.

Freecall now on 1800 634 206 or follow the support link below to make a secure supporter payment or donation online.