Leaders who fail to appreciate this fundamental precept of accountability must also fail to muster the profound commitment true leadership demands.

Let's start therefore with a universal truth: leaders are fundamentally accountable.

I must say that part of our national wealth is not only the nation's people but those people who lead them.

Older people often mistakenly consider that the young people do not care about their country, but the reverse is actually true.

We want our leaders to be fair dinkum, as much among us as above us.

Our vision is to look through the eyes of our kids. We are a lucky, peaceful nation. We are an unselfish people. That's one of our proudest national attributes.

But it is my total conviction that all the trappings of good leadership are generic and widely applicable whether you are standing in a khaki queue with your mess tins or on an automobile production line.