John Howard turned the prime ministership into something like a state police minister. He's at the scene of every crime, twice a day on radio, the guy did no thinking. Paul Keating More Quotes by Paul Keating More Quotes From Paul Keating The great curse of modern political life is incrementalism. Paul Keating modern political life-is The Labor Party is not going to profit from having these proven unsuccessful people around who are frightened of their own shadow and won't get out of bed in the morning unless they've had a focus group report to tell them which side of bed to get out. Paul Keating party morning people You see, psychologically, Australia must understand it has to live in the region around it. Australia must find its security in Asia; it cannot find its security from Asia. Paul Keating regions asia australia Politicians come in three varieties: straight men, fixers, and maddies. Paul Keating politician three men If you are sitting on the title of any block of land in New South Wales you can bet an Aboriginal person at some stage was dispossessed of it. Paul Keating titles block land No choice we can make as a nation lies between our history and our geography. We can hardly change either of them. They are immutable. The only choice we can make as a nation is the choice about our future. Paul Keating geography choices lying When the Berlin Wall came down the Americans cried, 'Victory,' and walked off the field. Paul Keating wall victory fields I think the rise of China is one of the great events of all economic and human history, and I think this will be overwhelmingly a positive thing for the region and the world. Paul Keating events world thinking I think the Australian people are very conscientious. During the 1980s and 1990s we proved they will respond conscientiously to necessary reforms. They mightn't like them but they'll accept them. But reforms have to be presented in a digestible format. Paul Keating reform people thinking The lesson of the Federation should be that the lesson is over. Australia must have a new idea of itself. We have to strike out in a new direction, in a new way, armed with our own self-regard, our own confidence and fully appreciating our own uniqueness. All other roads will lead us into the shadow of great powers. Paul Keating australia self ideas The great changes in civilisation and society have been wrought by deeply held beliefs and passion rather than by a process of rational deduction. Paul Keating passion belief process You see, before I became prime minister, the Australian prime minister only attended ever two meetings in the world: the British Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and the South Pacific Forum. Paul Keating australia-day government two In the end it's the big picture which changes nations and whatever our opponents may say, Australia's changed inexorably for good, for the better. Paul Keating opponents australia may The G7, just a European centric show, an Atlantic show, is fundamentally finished. Paul Keating finished shows If one takes pride in one's craft, you won't let a good thing die. Risking it through not pushing hard enough is not a humility. Paul Keating pride humility business You know, in the WikiLeaks cables, the Chinese discovered that Kevin Rudd was urging the Americans to keep the military option open against them. This is hardly a friendly gesture. Paul Keating chinese military friendly For John Howard to get to any high moral ground he would have to first climb out of the volcanic hole he's dug for himself over the last decade. You know, it's like one of those deep diamond mined holes in South Africa, you know, they're about a mile underground. He'd have to come a mile up to get to even equilibrium, let alone have any contest in morality with Kevin Rudd. Paul Keating kevin lasts firsts One tires of combat, although I can still throw a punch, you know. Paul Keating combat tire stills Think of one structural change in 11 years he made, other than being just doling out money in the annual Budget? And don't say the GST because Howard did that and it wasn't a structural change anyway, just a change in the tax system. This is a low flying person. Paul Keating flying persons lows I try to use the Australian idiom to its maximum advantage. Paul Keating advantage use trying
