"In a sense, it's always a sombre moment in a country where you ask the people who have done the right thing to put up with inconvenience because a limited number of people have done the wrong thing, but that is the nature of a democratic society."

"By the year 2000 I would like to see an Australian nation that feels comfortable and relaxed about three things. I would like to see them comfortable and relaxed about their history. I would like to see them comfortable and relaxed about the present and I'd also like to see them comfortable and relaxed about the future."

"I've never believed in lower wages. Never. Never believed in lower wages, I've never believed in lower wages as an economic instrument."

"There's no way that a GST will ever be part of our policy... never ever, it's dead it was killed by the voters in the last election."

"Truth is absolute, truth is supreme, truth is never disposable in national political life."

".. you must remember that the Australian voter has a short memory span... in fact, less than 14 days in most cases!"