If I were running al-Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008 and be praying as many times as possible for a victory not only for Obama but also for the Democrats.

You can't fatten the pig on market day.

Of all the important relationships that Australia has with other countries, none has been more greatly transformed over the last 10 years than our relationship with China.

The 'black armband' view of our history reflects a belief that most Australian history since 1788 has been little more than a disgraceful story of imperialism, exploitation, racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination. I take a very different view. I believe that the balance sheet of our history is one of heroic achievement and that we have achieved much more as a nation of which we can be proud of than which we should be ashamed.

It's too much to expect in an academic setting that we should all agree, but it is not too much to expect discipline and unvarying civility.

We won't just automatically click our heels and follow the Americans.

Nobody should claim that the war [in Iraq] is over. But certainly it can be said that the regime is finished.