Loose cannons

Issue 

Economics lesson

"Profit is a good thing, it is a source of employment, living standards and jobs for Australians. So companies have therefore got to make profits, got to make profits to invest. They've got to grow. There's nothing wrong with that." — ACTU secretary Bill Kelty, addressing the Financial Review's annual Management Championship final at Sydney's Ramada Renaissance Hotel on November 8.

Idealist

"You don't assume Mr Bond is going to steal $1.2 billion. You don't assume that Mr Connell is going to deceive and live like a parasite off the state. I mean, one doesn't make those assumptions." — Former Labor premier Peter Dowding to the WA Inc royal commission.

Happiness

"I will just be happy if I can find a buyer. I've suffered enough. I will shut it down and sell it for what I can get." — Camperdown abattoir owner Farouk Fami on the collapse of his attempt to replace meatworkers' union members with contract labour.

Penniless

"I come home penniless. All I want to do now is go home and live happily ever after." — Imelda Marcos on arriving in Manila on a $600,000 chartered 747 flight from the United States.

Shoeless

"Before, I had 3000 pairs." — Imelda Marcos on being invited to tour the Malacanang museum, formerly the Marcos palace, and reclaim 1200 pairs of her shoes on display there.

Horrified

"Spokesmen for some of the major Australian companies operating in Indonesia yesterday expressed horror at the events in Timor but said it was too early to say what the impact on business might be." — Financial Review, November 15.

Man's man

"Each man's life is his own and he should be free to choose how it ends." — Tobacco industry hired gun John Singleton arguing the case for tobacco advertising.

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