John Howard Quotes & Sayings

Sport is an important part of the Australian psyche. Anybody who thinks that sport is not part of the fabric of Australian life misunderstands this country quite dramatically. — John Howard

Nobody should claim that the war [in Iraq] is over. But certainly it can be said that the regime is finished. — John Howard

In my estimation, there should always be a mixture of economic liberalism - which means small government, a great emphasis on markets - but also a certain degree of social conservatism, not to favor change unless that change is beneficial. So I describe myself as an economic liberal and a social conservative. — John Howard

Of all the important relationships that Australia has with other countries, none has been more greatly transformed over the last 10 years than our relationship with China. — John Howard

The 'black armband' view of our history reflects a belief that most Australian history since 1788 has been little more than a disgraceful story of imperialism, exploitation, racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination. I take a very different view. I believe that the balance sheet of our history is one of heroic achievement and that we have achieved much more as a nation of which we can be proud of than which we should be ashamed. — John Howard

I'm direct, I'm unpretentious and I'm pretty dogged, and I hope I've got a capacity to laugh at myself and not take myself too seriously. — John Howard

Terrorists oppose nations such as the United States and Australia not because of what we have done but because of who we are and because of the values that we hold in common. — John Howard

I'm not running away from the fact that I had previously said I did not contemplate a major increase, and that was a fair statement of the Government's state of mind at the time I made that. — John Howard

We won't just automatically click our heels and follow the Americans. — John Howard

I have absolutely no difficulty myself with the playing of God Save the Queen in the presence of Her Majesty. — John Howard

Remarks such as 'great Australian', 'larger than life' are sometimes used where they are not appropriate. But in the case of Kerry Packer both of those descriptions are entirely appropriate. He was a great Australian, he was a larger than life character and in so many ways he left his mark on the Australian community over a very long career in business, particularly in the media and also that other great passion of his, Australian sport — John Howard

If I were running al-Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008 and be praying as many times as possible for a victory not only for [Barack] Obama but also for the Democrats. — John Howard

I think I'm seen as trustworthy. I'm seen as having determination and persistence, and I'm seen as having a capacity to reach achievable answers to difficult issues. — John Howard

It's beyond belief that any Australian could be so stupid as to carry drugs into any country in Asia. — John Howard

I thank all of those who weren't born in this country for coming here and making a contribution to Australia. We are the least discriminatory country in the world, in my view. — John Howard

People who say they're too busy to have lunch have a false impression of their own importance. — John Howard

There is a very special place in the Australian psyche for sport. It is one of the pillars of the Australian way of life. You don't really understand what makes the Australian nation tick unless you understand the great affection Australians have for sport. — John Howard

They might be a good friend, but they are also a bitter commercial rival. Let's not kid ourselves.. The American wheat industry has done everything it possibly can to criticize the Australian wheat industry in order to take the Iraqi wheat market from us. — John Howard

I don't think there's any reason on Earth why people should have access to automatic and semiautomatic weapons unless they're in the military or in the police. — John Howard

It's too much to expect in an academic setting that we should all agree, but it is not too much to expect discipline and unvarying civility. — John Howard

Truth is absolute, truth is supreme, truth is never disposable in national political life. — John Howard

He who cannot remember the past is doomed. DOOMED! — John Howard

I don't share the view that China and the U.S. need to reach some kind of strategic accommodation to carve up the Asia-Pacific region - that is an arrogant proposition and deeply insulting to other countries in the region, including Japan and potentially also India and Indonesia. — John Howard

We will decide who comes to our country. — John Howard

Australia will always be closer to the U.S. than she is to China because our values and political traditions are much closer. — John Howard

I don't think it is wrong, racist, immoral or anything, for a country to say 'we will decide what the cultural identity and the cultural destiny of this country will be and nobody else'. — John Howard

This is appalling. The idea that a person could be punished because of their religious belief and the idea they might be executed is just beyond belief. — John Howard

She was my accountant, so I just believed her. — John Howard

I accept that climate change is a challenge, I accept the broad theory about global warming. I am sceptical about a lot of the more gloomy predictions. — John Howard

The bicycle is a curious vehicle. Its passenger is its engine. — John Howard

I grew up in a strong family; we had strong family bonds. — John Howard

Young people are at risk of being disinherited from their community if that community lacks the courage and confidence to teach its history. — John Howard

Nobody should underestimate how much the world changed on the 11th of September 2001. — John Howard

There is much in American society which I admire, but I have long held the view that the absence of an effective safety net in that country means that too many needy citizens fall by the wayside. That is not the path that Australia will tread. Nor do we want the burdens of nanny state paternalism that now weigh down many economies in Europe. — John Howard

I'm all for it. In these days, regional marketing is the only way to survive. — John Howard

There will, in my view, come a time when there has to be some kind of political denouement inside China, because the newly enriched generation might put up with being told what to do by their rulers - but their children, who will take prosperity for granted, will not. — John Howard

I'd like to be seen as an average Australian bloke. I can't think of ... I can't think of a nobler description of anybody than to be called an average Australian bloke. — John Howard

On economic policy, my support of smaller government, lower taxes and economic reform is consistent with the mainstream of the Republican Party in the United States and with many Democrats as well. — John Howard

If I am wrong and you are right then the democratic process of the Australian community will vindicate you and condemn me. — John Howard

I accept that in a free society you have to justify reductions in people's liberties. I accept that, bearing in mind my starting point is that the most important human right is the right to life ... — John Howard

The goal of Australian foreign policy should be to promote the maximum harmony between the U.S. and China. — John Howard

I think when people talk about civil liberties, they sometimes forget that action taken to protect the citizen against physical violence and physical attack is a blow in favour and not a blow against civil liberties. — John Howard

The most important civil liberty ... is to stay alive and to be free from violence and death ... — John Howard

You can't fatten the pig on market day. — John Howard

You are not prime minister of Australia because of some kind of process of divine selection. You are prime minister of Australia through the gift of the Australian people. — John Howard

A conservative is someone who does not think he is morally superior to his grandfather. — John Howard

I'm fairly conservative on social issues, but not extremely conservative and not reactionary. — John Howard

I have had the view that cutting wages is not the path to prosperity, and one of the great myths propagated about my attitude to industrial relations is that I believe in lower wages. I've never believed in lower wages. Never. Never believed in lower wages, I've never believed in lower wages as an economic instrument. — John Howard