Quotes

Unless and until something concrete is done about addressing the Israeli-Palestinian issue you won't get a real start on the war against terrorism.

The things which are most important don't always scream the loudest.

My point was that the war was intrinsically wrong, and as a result of our participation we haven't improved Australia's security but created a greater danger at home and abroad.

There is no doubt that this government and this country are benefiting from the reforms that we brought in the 1980s, and that couldn't have been done without the co-operation of the trade union movement.

I think it is just stupid economics for a government to approach economic management from a strand of thinking regarding unions as enemies.

[on Robert Mugabe] He's one of the worst human beings I've ever met. He treated black and white with equal contempt. He was a horrible human being.

None of us can be sure of how long we will live. Because this is so, I think you should try not to think too much about dying but think about all the nice things that make life so precious to us all.

[on nuclear energy] Nuclear power would be a win for the environment and an essential part of the attacking that must be made on this grievous and dangerous global warming. It would be a win for the global environment and a win for Australia.

[on same-sex marriage] I'm very much in favour of the law being changed to allow marriage between gay people.

[on refugees] Of course we should have compassion, but people who are coming in this way are not the only people in the world who have rights to our compassion. Any sovereign country has the right to determine how it will exercise its compassion and how it will increase its population.

[on the Voice to Parliament] In Australia, there should be no hierarchy of descent and no privilege of origin.