Tony Abbott

Well, I'm not saying that an emissions tax is ever going to be good policy.

I do enjoy exercise, not because I am an exercise junkie but because it's terrific stress release.

The problem with politicians getting to know the issues in indigenous townships is that we tend to suffer from what Aboriginal people call the 'seagull syndrome' - we fly in, scratch around and fly out.

I understand that government should live within its means, value the money it holds in trust from you the taxpayer, avoid waste and, above all else, observe the first maxim of good government: namely, do no avoidable harm.

I see myself as a social conservative, but I think that there are lots of social institutions that produce beneficial reforms, like public hospitals, for instance, and schools.

Faith is important to me. It's important to millions of Australians. It helps to shape who I am. It helps to shape my values. But it must never, never dictate my politics.

I don't think my religious convictions should be held against me.

I think that political marriages are subject to more strain than most precisely because of the nature of politics.

Climate change is crap.

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.

I would not want to see any relaxation of the law prohibiting human cloning.

For small business people, less paperwork means higher profits, boosted sales and more time with the family.