Bob Hawke

I believe the Australian people have an affection for the Queen, and so they should have. ”

My experience is that the Australian people rarely get it wrong - they will vote for a united party that is able to look after their interests and the national interest. ”

None of us can be sure of how long we will live. Because this is so, I think you should try not to think too much about dying but think about all the nice things that make life so precious to us all. ”

Australia can no longer afford to go down the path of confrontation and fragmentation which has embittered and disfigured so many aspects of the national life. ”

The greatest stain upon this great Australian nation's character, without any question, is the great gaps that exist between our Aboriginal brothers and sisters in terms of their health, their education, their living conditions, their incarceration rates and life expectancy. It's a great stain. ”

I felt completely ready to become prime minister. I came to office better equipped, in terms of knowledge of economics and of the Australian economy, than anyone before me, or since, I would say. ”

Is there some reason why the quality of people going into the parliament is not as high? I don't know the complete answer, but I think - in fact, I'm sure - that part of it is the increasing intrusiveness of the media - the general media and social media - into the private lives of politicians and their families. ”

They've been irrelevant to me, the print media, because my link does not depend upon the menial minds of the scribblers in Canberra or anywhere else. ”