Quotes by Kevin Rudd

“As nations we should also commit afresh to righting past wrongs. In Australia we began this recently with the first Australians - the oldest continuing culture in human history. On behalf of the Au...”

“Australia is a nation of compassion. Courage and compassion. And the third of these great values: resilience.”

“These are important reforms. Infrastructure, education, health, hospitals, closing the gap with indigenous Australians. Also the Apology to the first Australians. As Prime Minister of the country I...”

“If the states and territories do not sign up to fundamental reform, then my message is equally simple: we will take this reform plan to the people at the next election - along with a referendum by ...”

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great sadness that I announce that I will resign as Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs. I am sad because I love this job. I'm totally dedicated to the work th...”

“My fundamental interests are to preserve the good name and standing of this Australian Labor Party and to act in the national interest on behalf of the Australian Government.”

“Something my mum taught me years and years and years ago, is life's just too short to carry around a great bucket-load of anger and resentment and bitterness and hatreds and all that sort of stuff.”

“Because the time has come, well and truly come, for all peoples of our great country, for all citizens of our great commonwealth, for all Australians - those who are indigenous and those who are no...”

“I deeply believe that if the Australian Labor Party, a party of which I have been a proud member for more than 30 years, is to have the best future for our nation, then it must change fundamentally...”

“The Apology opened the opportunity for a new relationship based on mutual respect and mutual responsibility between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia. Because without mutual respect and mutua...”

“Labor has a universal position of opposition to the death penalty both at home and abroad... It is not possible in our view to be selective in the application of this policy.”

“... no diplomatic intervention will ever be made by any government that I lead in support of any individual terrorist's life. We have only indicated in the past, and will maintain a policy in the f...”

“John Howard's credibility on the entire Iraq war has been torpedoed by John Howard's own intelligence agency.”

“Everyone's entitled to their point of view but that's seriously a weird one.”

“[But] we should not be kowtowing to anybody when it comes to freedom in this country.”

“If he has any self-respect he would resign over this matter, the negligence is so gross.”

“This goes to demonstrate the fact that John Howard established this inquiry in order to bring about his own absolution, not to bring about any form of accountability.”

“We have seen this complete right wing takeover of modern liberalism, and it is an ugly spectacle to behold.”

“When you analyse it carefully, it is about a family’s ability to stay together and have time together. We all know, with our fractured lives in this place, how difficult it becomes when we as human...”

“Labor’s message then is this: we believe in a strong economy; we believe also in a fair go for all, not just for some.”