The definition of indecent – when it’s in long, and it’s in hard, and it’s in deep – it’s in decent.
If there was a university degree for greed, you cunts would all get first-class honours.
I think the Australian people are very conscientious. During the 1980s and 1990s we proved they will respond conscientiously to necessary reforms. They mightn't like them but they'll accept them. But reforms have to be presented in a digestible format.
Politicians come in three varieties: straight men, fixers, and maddies.
No choice we can make as a nation lies between our history and our geography. We can hardly change either of them. They are immutable. The only choice we can make as a nation is the choice about our future.
I think the rise of China is one of the great events of all economic and human history, and I think this will be overwhelmingly a positive thing for the region and the world.
In the end it's the big picture which changes nations and whatever our opponents may say, Australia's changed inexorably for good, for the better.
Whether a character in your novel is full of choler, bile, phlegm, blood or plain old buffalo chips, the fire of life is in there, too, as long as that character lives.
Mistakes are about getting the blessing in the lesson and the lesson in the blessing.
My philosophy is that when I go out of my room, I'm prepared to love everybody I meet, unless they're bad.
Words and thoughts concerning compassionate action that are not put into practice are like beautiful flowers that are colorful but have no fragrance.