Loose cannons

Issue 

Growth

"A strategy for growth is what we need, a strategy for growth is what we are going to have." — British Prime Minister John Major, shortly after backing down on the Tory government's proposal to close down 31 of the country's coal mines at a cost of around 30,000 jobs.

Vision splendid

"China's population today is about 1.2 billion, there are 270 million households and only 20% have colour television. That leaves 200 million households ... It's the last great undeveloped market in the world." — Executives of the Japanese company, Matsushita, getting the important things into perspective about China.

Wrong people

"I've got to believe that in the end, if you do what's right, if you call for the right policies, if you tap the aspirations of all Australians, you've got to be able to win. If we can't win by doing what's right, there's something fundamentally wrong with Australia." — John Hewson presenting his human face to the recent NSW convention of the Liberal Party.

Revelation

"The book will be incredibly profitable." — US financial analyst Jessica Reif on Madonna's new book, Sex.

Important qualifications though

"Intellectual dishonesty and dogmatism are not attractive features for a person putting himself forward as the next Australian prime minister." — Sydney University economics professor Peter Groenewegen, accusing John Hewson of misusing an article of his on consumption taxes.

Crazy

"This is a free enterprise country. I want to create more millionaires in my presidency than Bush and Quayle did. But I have this crazy idea that they ought to make their money the old fashioned way, by putting the rest of America back to work." — US Democratic Party presidential candidate Bill Clinton outlining his social vision.

A rose by any other name

The campaign manager of US presidential candidate Ross

Perot is named Orson Swindle.

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