Tony Abbott quotes - page 3

These people aren't so much seeking asylum, they're seeking permanent residency. If they were happy with temporary protection visas, then they might be able to argue better that they were asylum seekers. (Tony Abbott)
This government thinks that somehow you can build prosperity with new taxes. No country ever got rich by increasing taxation. No country ever built a strong economy by clobbering itself with tax after tax after tax. View quote
Tony Abbott
Unsurprisingly, the recipients of climate change subsidies and climate change research grants think action is very urgent indeed. As for the general public, of course saving the planet counts – until the bills come in and then the humbug detector is switched on. View quote
Tony Abbott
Indonesia is a country for which I have a great deal of respect and personal affection based on my own time in Indonesia. I want nothing, but the best for Indonesia, and I certainly want, Leigh, I certainly want the boats stopped and that is overwhelmingly in the interests of both our countries. View quote
Tony Abbott
Islam never had its own version of the Reformation and the Enlightenment or a consequent acceptance of pluralism and the separation of church and state. Fortunately there are numerous Muslim leaders who think their faith needs to modernise from the kill-or-be-killed milieu of the Prophet Mohammed. View quote
Tony Abbott
All of the boats in question were in the Indonesian search and rescue zone and I want the fullest possible cooperation between Indonesia and Australia in places where Indonesia has, if you like, the legal responsibility under the law of the sea, but Australia has more practical capacity to help. View quote
Tony Abbott
I'll be accountable to the Australian public at the next election - they expect us to stop the boats and that's what we are doing. View quote
Tony Abbott
That's bullshit. You're being deliberately unpleasant. I suppose you can't help yourself, can you? View quote
Tony Abbott
I don't really do diplomacy. View quote
Tony Abbott
Only on the sports field are the British an alien tribe. View quote
Tony Abbott
I have often pondered the psychology of people who seem uncomfortable with the society that has formed them. There is much about Australia I would like to change, but not its fundamentals. (Tony Abbott)
Even the toughest politicians sometimes wonder whether political life is worth the personal cost. View quote
Tony Abbott
For me, as for every leader of the Liberal Party, encouragement for the family, support for small business and respect for values and institutions that have stood the test of time are at the heart of my public life. View quote
Tony Abbott
I probably feel a bit threatened, as so many people do... look, it is a fact of life and I try to treat people as people, and not put them in pigeonholes. View quote
Tony Abbott
I guess in the end I'm a bit like Bill Clinton on this matter, who said that he thought [abortion] should be safe, legal and rare. And I underline 'rare'. View quote
Tony Abbott
I stand for active government, not big government. I stand for government which gets off people's backs, not government which opts out of the future because it cannot face hard decisions. I stand for government which backs Australia's families with real policies and not just platitudes. View quote
Tony Abbott
I'm a politician. I'm not going to get into a whole range of scientific argument with scientists. View quote
Tony Abbott
Let's be upfront about this. I know Bernie is very sick, but just because a person is sick doesn't necessarily mean that he is pure of heart in all things. View quote
Tony Abbott
Well, there is no doubt that (homosexuality) challenges, if you like, orthodox notions of the right order of things, but as I also said on the program, it happens, it's a fact of life and we have to treat people as we find them. View quote
Tony Abbott
In politics, what's not reported might as well not have happened. View quote
Tony Abbott
Once people come to Australia, they join the team. (Tony Abbott)
We stand for lower, simpler, fairer taxes, not great big new taxes that damage Australia's economy, not great big new taxes that are yet another hit on the cost of living of struggling Australian families. View quote
Tony Abbott
Obviously we have now had a number of very credible leads and there is increasing hope - no more than hope, no more than hope - that we might be on the road to discovering what did happen to this ill-fated aircraft. View quote
Tony Abbott
There is no doubt that (homosexuality) challenges, if you like, orthodox notions of the right order of things. View quote
Tony Abbott
I probably feel a bit threatened, as so many people do. View quote
Tony Abbott