Loose cannons

March 17, 1999
Issue 

Now you know

"The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practise witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians." — US evangelist Pat Robertson.

Now you don't know

"We intend they will all be sold but, arguably, they may not be sold." — NSW National leader George Souris on the state Coalition's plans to privatise electricity distribution companies.

Common sense

"You've got to draw the line somewhere, and you just apply a bit of common sense." — Foreign minister Alexander Downer, explaining plans to release East Timor policy records of the Whitlam Labor government, but not of the Fraser Liberal government.

Despite the changes

"If America pursues limited government, low taxes, free and fair trade and free markets, our country will continue to be prosperous." — Texas Governor George W. Bush, a likely candidate for Republican nomination for president.

Behind closed doors

"They hadn't told him there would be media. He thought he was doing it behind closed doors." — Federal Liberal Party directory Lynton Crosby, on a racist speech by former party president John Elliott.

Savings

"The savings that [the system] will bring to the industry would be an absolute $20 million per annum in fuel alone." — A memo by a senior air traffic controller in Airservices Australia, on a new radar system for Sydney airport being sold to the public as an improvement in safety.

Keeping his hand in

"We are talking about very serious security offences here." — Israeli prosecutor Devorah Chen on former spy Yehuda Gil. Gil retired from Mossad in 1989 but in 1997 provided false information that almost led to an Israeli war with Syria.

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