When I appointed the Minister of the Environment to major cabinet status, the Planning and Priorities committee, the signals that that sent through Ottawa were major, because that's what the bureaucracy understands.

You have to spend your political capital on great causes for your country.

Once you articulate an agenda, you have to follow it.

Whether the process proves to be Kyoto or something else, let's acknowledge the urgency of global warming.

Margaret Thatcher inherited the sick man of Europe in 1979 and transformed it into a powerhouse. When she left office, it was Britain redefined. And of course the frosting on the cake was her action in the Falklands, where she gave Britain back some of its pizzazz, addressed some past yearning and great memories. So she gave them back their pride. That was the first great thing she did.

Every cabinet minister gets a mission statement from the Prime Minister.

And look, I was a big, brassy guy who won and won big. I did what I wanted.