Now if you are condemned to life on welfare, I'm not so sure that being in a bigger welfare village is that much better than being in a smaller welfare village.

Do we really want to invest $50 billion of hard earned taxpayers money in what is essentially a video entertainment system?

I think that the best things that governments can do for productivity is not whack on new taxes and, if we can get institutions like schools and hospitals functioning better, well that's obviously good for the overall productiveness of our society.

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.

There is one fundamental message that we want to go out from this place to every nook and cranny of our country: There should be no new tax collection without an election.

And the commitment that I've been giving to the Australian people is that there'll be no surprises and no excuses under a Coalition government.

I want to see an end to sovereign risk questions over Australia.