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Tony Abbott

Tony Abbott Quotes

Prime Minister of Australia

Tony Abbott served as the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from September 2013 to September 2015. He is a member of the Liberal Party and has held various political positions throughout his career. Born on November 4, 1957, in London, United Kingdom, Abbott moved to Australia with his family at a young age.

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All People Government Thinking Ifs Australia Excuse Should Want Country Taxes Ministers Prime Prime Minister Needs Wells Knows Party Politician Way Aboriginal

Famous Tony Abbott Quotes

“I just think that this whole issue of creating potential human life, not to give life, but to give the scientists a bit more of a leg-up, is fraught with danger.”

Thinking Giving Humans Whole Bits Issues Danger Creating Scientist Legs Human Life

Author:Tony Abbott

“I think I would say to my daughters if they were to ask me this question... it [their virginity] is the greatest gift that you can give someone, the ultimate gift of giving and don't give it to someone lightly, that's what I would say.”

Ifs Thinking Giving Asks Daughter Ultimate Ask Me My Daughter Greatest Gifts Virginity Gift Giving

Author:Tony Abbott

“I do not regard myself as a Christian politician. I regard myself as a politician who just happens to think religion matters. I would be appalled, absolutely appalled, to think religion drove anyone's politics in a secular democracy like ours.”

Thinking Matter Happens Would Be Christian Democracy Politician Regard Secular

Author:Tony Abbott

“The Liberal Party has dealt with the spill motion and now this matter is behind us, we think that when you elect a government, when you elect a prime minister, you deserve to keep that government and that prime minister until you have a chance to change your mind.”

Thinking Mind Matter Government Change Chance Party Behinds Deserve Ministers Prime Prime Minister Spills Changing Your Mind Liberal Party

Author:Tony Abbott

“I think there is no doubt that the advent of 24/7 news channels, which are voracious in their demand for constant new content, has accelerated the political process. The rise of social media, in addition to talkback, I think has intensified the political process.”

Thinking Political Social Process Doubt Media Demand News Constant Social Media No Doubt Advent News Channels

Author:Tony Abbott

“I've always avoided those sorts of self-assessments because if you give yourself a 10 out of 10 people think you're a big head, if you give yourself a 6 out of 10 they think you're plagued with self-doubt, so I'm just not going to rate myself.”

People Ifs Thinking Giving Self Bigs Doubt Rate Avoided Assessment Self-doubt Self Assessment Big Heads

Author:Tony Abbott

“There are some issues where ministers should come and talk to the prime minister, if the prime minister hasn't already talked to them. Any issue which a minister thinks is going to be profoundly controversial, where we do not have a clear existing position, it is important that there be a conversation between the minister and the prime minister. I think they all understand that and I think it is working very well.”

Ifs Thinking Should Wells Important Issues Clear Position Conversation Ministers Prime Prime Minister Controversial

Author:Tony Abbott

“I want to be a very good friend to Indonesia, but there are some things which are non-negotiable. Border protection is just non-negotiable. Maintaining a strong security network is just non-negotiable. I think the Indonesians understand that.”

Thinking Want Strong Security Very Good Protection Borders Good Friend Maintaining Indonesia Very Good Friends

Author:Tony Abbott

“I think we've produced a stronger prohibition on real racism, while maintaining freedom of speech in ordinary public discussion. So I'm very comfortable with where we're at. We're not dogmatic or impervious to a further argument, that's why we released it as an exposure draft rather than simply releasing it straight into the parliament.”

Thinking Real Speech Comfortable Racism Ordinary Argument Stronger Discussion Freedom Of Speech Parliament Exposure Maintaining Prohibition Dogmatic Impervious

Author:Tony Abbott

“I think all senior politicians tend to be rather more subtle then the commentators would have it. It is a natural tendency for human beings to try to classify. We all have this classification urge - so and so is such and such, that person is in that camp - but look, most sophisticated people defy stereotype.”

People Thinking Trying Humans Looks Persons Natural Human Beings Politician Tendencies Subtle Urges Camps Sophisticated Senior Stereotype Commentators Classification

Author:Tony Abbott

“I don't think that my particular religious convictions should be held against me in this campaign any more than the Prime Minister's lack of convictions should be held against her.”

Thinking Should Religious Particular Conviction Campaigns Ministers Prime Prime Minister

Author:Tony Abbott

“I think that marriage is, dare I say it, between a man and a woman, hopefully for life and there are all sorts of other relationships which should be acknowledged and recognised, but I don't know that they can be recognised as marriage.”

Thinking Knows Men Should Dare Hopefully

Author:Tony Abbott

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

Thinking Political Subjects Strain

Author:Tony Abbott

“While I think men and women are equal, they are also different and I think it's inevitable and I don't think it's a bad thing at all that we always have, say, more women doing things like physiotherapy and an enormous number of women simply doing housework.”

Thinking Men Different Numbers Equal Men And Women Enormous Inevitable Bad Things Housework Physiotherapy

Author:Tony Abbott

“I think there does need to be give and take on both sides, and this idea that sex is kind of a woman’s right to absolutely withhold, just as the idea that sex is a man’s right to demand I think they are both they both need to be moderated, so to speak.”

Thinking Men Needs Giving Kind Doe Ideas Speak Sex Sides Demand Both Sides Give And Take

Author:Tony Abbott

“I think it would be folly to expect that women will ever dominate or even approach equal representation in a large number of areas simply because their aptitudes, abilities and interests are different for physiological reasons.”

Thinking Different Reason Would Be Interest Ability Numbers Equal Approach Areas Folly Representation Large Numbers Aptitude Physiological

Author:Tony Abbott

“I don't think it's a very Christian thing to come in by the back door rather than the front door.”

Thinking Christian Doors Fronts Front Doors Back Doors

Author:Tony Abbott

“Now, I know that there are some Aboriginal people who aren’t happy with Australia Day. For them it remains Invasion Day. I think a better view is the view of Noel Pearson, who has said that Aboriginal people have much to celebrate in this country’s British Heritage.”

People Thinking Knows Said Country Views Remains British Celebrate Australia Heritage Invasion Aboriginal Noel Australia Day

Author:Tony Abbott

“I think my wife and my kids are incredibly good to allow me to stay in public life given that they have to cop a whole lot of collateral attention that, being human, they'd rather not get.”

Thinking Humans Whole Kids Given Attention Wife My Wife Cop Being Human Public Life Collateral

Author:Tony Abbott

“I think anything which improves services is in principle a good thing.”

Thinking Principles Good Things

Author:Tony Abbott

“I mean there are many, many people in all sorts of different countries who don't have a great life, who are subject to injustice. Are we obliged to take all of them who come here? I think the answer is 'Not necessarily.'”

People Thinking Mean Different Country Answers Subjects Injustice Obliged Different Countries

Author:Tony Abbott

“I also think that if you want to put a price on carbon, why not just do it with a simple tax? Why not ask motorists to pay more, why not ask electricity consumers to pay more and then at the end of the year you can take your invoices to the tax office and get a rebate of the carbon tax you've paid”

Ifs Thinking Want Years Ends Asks Simple Pay Taxes Office Paid Consumers Why Not Electricity Carbon Just Do It Carbon Tax

Author:Tony Abbott

“I think leadership is knowing what you want to achieve and then purposefully and sensibly taking steps to achieve it, remembering always that you have got to bring people with you if you are seeking to be a successful political leader.”

People Ifs Thinking Want Remember Political Leader Steps Knowing Successful Achieve Seeking What You Want Political Leaders Knowing What You Want

Author:Tony Abbott

“I think that people should come to Australia through the front door, not through the back door. If people want a migration outcome, they should go through the migration channels.”

People Ifs Thinking Want Should Doors Fronts Outcomes Australia Migration Front Doors Back Doors

Author:Tony Abbott

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

Thinking Should Religious Conviction

Author:Tony Abbott

“I think that the best things that governments can do for productivity is not whack on new taxes and, if we can get institutions like schools and hospitals functioning better, well that's obviously good for the overall productiveness of our society.”

Ifs Thinking Wells Government School Can Do Taxes Institutions Productivity Best Things Our Society Hospitals

Author:Tony Abbott

“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.”

Thinking School Social Produce Institutions Conservative Instance Reform Hospitals Beneficial Social Institutions

Author:Tony Abbott

“I think it's time for the Prime Minister to stop making excuses and to start governing.”

Thinking Excuse Ministers Prime Prime Minister Governing Making Excuses Stop Making Excuses

Author:Tony Abbott

“The fact is that I'm interested in getting on with my job of holding the Government to account and I think that the Government should get on with the job of effectively running the country and not making excuses for poor performance, not lowering expectations. Their job is to deliver on their election commitments.”

Thinking Should Country Facts Government Running Jobs Poor Expectations Commitment Performances Accounts Election Excuse Making Excuses Poor Performance

Author:Tony Abbott

“I think that it's high time that the Prime Minister stopped making excuses for bad policy and started listening to the forgotten families of Australia.”

Thinking Policy Listening Forgotten Excuse Ministers Australia Prime Prime Minister Making Excuses

Author:Tony Abbott

About the Author

Born: November 4, 1957
Known for: Prime Minister of Australia
Quotes: 192

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