People who say they're too busy to have lunch have a false impression of their own importance.

I accept that in a free society you have to justify reductions in people's liberties. I accept that, bearing in mind my starting point is that the most important human right is the right to life.

There is a very special place in the Australian psyche for sport. It is one of the pillars of the Australian way of life. You don't really understand what makes the Australian nation tick unless you understand the great affection Australians have for sport.

How can you render the duties of justice to men when they may destroy you?

There is much in American society which I admire, but I have long held the view that the absence of an effective safety net in that country means that too many needy citizens fall by the wayside. That is not the path that Australia will tread. Nor do we want the burdens of nanny state paternalism that now weigh down many economies in Europe.

It's beyond belief that any Australian could be so stupid as to carry drugs into any country in Asia.

A conservative is someone who does not think he is morally superior to his grandfather.