What I would like to see is sufficiently good education and health services being delivered to Aboriginal people so that they are prepared and ready to leave and join the economic mainstream if that's their choice.

The Australian people expect the Government to govern, they don't expect it to make excuses.

Even potential human life needs to be treated with great respect.

The argument [behind climate change] is absolute crap. However, the politics of this are tough for us. Eighty per cent of people believe climate change is a real and present danger.

Coal is good for humanity, coal is good for prosperity, coal is an essential part of our economic future, here in Australia, and right around the world.

If you want to put a price on carbon why not just do it with a simple tax?

I'm not running for canonisation.