Winners
The Business Review Weekly, in association with Alcatel, held its business awards dinner in Sydney's Queen Victoria Building in early December. Then prime minister Bob Hawke awarded the Business Leader of the Year award to then chief executive of Compass Airlines, Bryan Grey.
Challenges
Australia "ought to be bloody well proud of its achievements ... There is too much talk that Australia is not in a condition where it is capable of facing great challenges of a competitive international world." — Bob Hawke at the BRW/Alcatel business awards.
Amnesia
"The cold warriors have done their job and achieved amazing results. We can all be proud of their work on the world stage." — US Democrat Senator Bob Kerrey, who lost half a leg in Vietnam and was an opponent of the war.
Like North America?
"This ambiguous, complicated and changing security environment is not a comfortable one for Americans. The post-Soviet world bumper sticker, 'less threatening, more complicated', offers no clear cut guidance ... The Persian Gulf war highlighted the most important threats of the new era — the spread of nuclear weapons, terrorism and regional powers." — US Democrat Senator Les Aspin, chair of the House Armed Services Committee.
War is hell
Following his retirement from the US army, former general Norman Schwarzkopf has signed a A$6.7 million deal with Bantam Books for his autobiography. He now spends his time on the lecture circuit, picking up $50,000 per speech.
One who knows
"It is American policy that we do not engage in assassination of foreign leaders. But if Saddam Hussein stiffs the United Nations on inspections of his nuclear facilities and we find there is a facility being used ... the US should take it out and at the same time, this time, take out Saddam Hussein too. He is an evil man." — Former US president Richard Nixon on the 27th anniversary of his announcement of the US pullout from Vietnam.
Longest sewer
"As more waste goes into the river, the septic zone is increasing in length until the whole river becomes the waste treatment plant." — Chris Nevin, town planner for southern NSW Berrigan Shire Council, protesting against plans to allow the city of Albury to treble phosphorus discharges into the Murray, Australia's longest river.