As our economy faces up to potential labour shortages due to our ageing population and as it moves to a new level of sophistication to compete with the rest of the world, we're going to need every Australian on board pulling their weight, rejoining the workforce, gaining new skills. Writing off individuals and communities suffering from poverty just creates a dead weight for our economy to drag along.

If you complain, you’re ‘playing the victim’; if you don’t complain, you are a victim.

The global economic outlook remains fragile and uncertain. Global economic imbalances persist and we must address them or risk future instability.

Try harder every day to be better than the day before.

All my life I've believed that men and women have equal capacities and talents...consequently there should be equality in life's chances.

I know reform is never easy. But I know reform is right.

Afghanistan must never again be a safe haven for terrorism.