Credibility problems
Western Australian coalition industrial relations spokesperson Graham Kierath, denying that his industrial relations reforms would make anybody worse off or lose their jobs, admitted that "Kennett does cause us problems".
Wage restraint
The January 14 issue of the Sydney Morning Herald reported that, despite the huge profit increase of Kerry Packer's Conspress, Packer's personal income "rose just $5 million to $50 million".
Business confidence
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that management guru Tom Peters, who reputedly commands $55,000 an hour on the lecture circuit, has produced "another successful how-to book". On opening Peters' latest 800-page tome, one is met by: "If you've done all the close-to-the-customer things that I begged you to do in my first three books, I'm not sure you'll be any closer five years from now than you are today."
Greed
Canadian newspaper tycoon Conrad Black, owner of the Age and Sydney Morning Herald amongst others, was expelled from prep school when he was caught stealing exam papers, which he sold to other boys. This taught him a profound lesson in life, he says: "As I was walking out the gates [of the school] a number of students who literally 24 hours before had been begging for assistance, were now shaking their fists and shouting words of moralistic execration after me. I've never forgotten how cowardly and greedy people can be."
Free market
"There has not been money in tankers for 20 years." — London ship-broker Eric Shawyer, explaining that the oil tanker Braer, which caused an environmental disaster when it was wrecked in the Shetland Islands, could have been trying to save as little as $1000 by taking a short cut, rather than a safer, slightly longer route to the north.
Fond farewell
The result of the US elections means we will no longer have Vice President Dan Quayle to laugh at. For the last time, enjoy his words of wisdom, courtesy of the US Progressive
magazine. Asked to comment on the state of Hawaii's health care system, Dan said: "Hawaii is a unique state. It is a small state. It is a state that is by itself. It is a — it is different than the other 49 states. Well, all states are different, but it's got a particularly unique situation."