It's Australian to do such things because, however uncivilised they may seem, it's human to do them.

Reading is a huge effort for many people, a bore for others, and, believe it or not, many people prefer watching TV.

The thing we need most is each other.

Polls are no substitute for leadership because, at its very essence, leadership is about giving people what they don't already have - a sense of vision, inspiration, or even an adequate grasp of a particular subject.

I suspect the secret of personal attraction is locked up in our unique imperfections, flaws and frailties.

Universal literacy was a 20th-century goal. Before then, reading and writing were skills largely confined to a small, highly educated class of professional people.

Obviously, every child should be given the best possible opportunity to acquire literacy skills.