Tony Abbott: Trending quotes (page 3)

“It's not goodies versus baddies, it's baddies versus baddies and that's why it's very important that we don't make a very difficult situation worse”

Tony Abbott

Describing the civil conflict in Syria, quoted in "Tony Abbott seeks to explain baddies versus baddies comment on situation in Syria" http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-02/abbott-seeks-to-explain-baddies-v-baddies-comment/4929118 ABC News, September 2, 2013.
2013

“Islam needs to delegitimise the urge to “behead all those who insult the Prophet” but only Muslims can do this. That’s why everyone interested in a safer world should be reaching out to “live and let live” Muslims and encouraging them to reclaim their faith from the zealots.”

Tony Abbott

2015, The religion of Islam must reform (December 9, 2015)

World , Faith

“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”

Tony Abbott

Quoted in "Rudd hands PM a crucial lifeline" by : Laurie Oakes http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/rudd-hands-pm-a-crucial-lifeline/story-e6frfhqf-1225902277655 in the Herald Sun, August 6, 2010.
2010

Women , Men , Thinking

“At least so far, it’s climate change policy that’s doing harm. Climate change itself is probably doing good; or at least, more good than harm.”

Tony Abbott

Quoted in "Tony Abbott says climate change is 'probably doing good'" https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/oct/10/tony-abbott-says-climate-change-is-probably-doing-good, The Guardian, October 10, 2017
2017

Change

“Dealing with terrorism and the Islamist fanaticism that inspires it is the great challenge of our time. Obviously there needs to be a very strong security response at home and abroad.”

Tony Abbott

2015, The religion of Islam must reform (December 9, 2015)

Home , Strong , Time

“These people aren’t so much seeking asylum, they’re seeking permanent residency. If they were happy with temporary protection visas, then they might be able to argue better that they were asylum seekers”

Tony Abbott

To leigh Sales "Tony Abbott blames carbon tax for 'uncertainty'" http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2012/s3573785.htm 7.30 Report, August 22, 2012.
2012

People , Happiness

“This government thinks that somehow you can build prosperity with new taxes. No country ever got rich by increasing taxation. No country ever built a strong economy by clobbering itself with tax after tax after tax.”

Tony Abbott

Quoted in "Fact file: What Tony Abbott promised on tax" http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-01/fact-file-what-tony-abbott-promised-on-tax/5420226 ABC News, July 23, 2014.
2011

Thinking , Country , Strong

“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.”

Tony Abbott

Panel discussion "Religion, Sex and Politics" http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/txt/s2514401.htm on abc.com.au, March 19, 2009.
2009

Sex , Idea , Thinking

“If we’re honest, most of us would accept that a bad boss is a little bit like a bad father or a bad husband … you find that he tends to do more good than harm. He might be a bad boss but at least he’s employing someone while he is in fact a boss.”

Tony Abbott

Quoted in "Tony Abbott under fire" http://www.abc.net.au/am/stories/s596135.htm on abc.net.au, July 22, 2002.
2002

“Unsurprisingly, the recipients of climate change subsidies and climate change research grants think action is very urgent indeed. As for the general public, of course saving the planet counts – until the bills come in and then the humbug detector is switched on.”

Tony Abbott

Quoted in "'I've learnt to speak my mind': 10 excerpts from Tony Abbott's climate change speech in London'" http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/ive-learnt-to-speak-my-mind-ten-excerpts-from-tony-abbotts-climate-change-speech-in-london-20171009-gyxk92.html, Sydney Morning Herald, October 10, 2017
2017

Thinking , Change

“Indonesia is a country for which I have a great deal of respect and personal affection based on my own time in Indonesia. I want nothing, but the best for Indonesia, and I certainly want, Leigh, I certainly want the boats stopped and that is overwhelmingly in the interests of both our countries.”

Tony Abbott

abc.net.au http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2013/s3890402.htm.
2013

Time , Personality , Country

“Islam never had its own version of the Reformation and the Enlightenment or a consequent acceptance of pluralism and the separation of church and state. Fortunately there are numerous Muslim leaders who think their faith needs to modernise from the kill-or-be-killed milieu of the Prophet Mohammed.”

Tony Abbott

2015, The religion of Islam must reform (December 9, 2015)

Faith , Thinking

“All of the boats in question were in the Indonesian search and rescue zone and I want the fullest possible cooperation between Indonesia and Australia in places where Indonesia has, if you like, the legal responsibility under the law of the sea, but Australia has more practical capacity to help.”

Tony Abbott

abc.net.au http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2013/s3890402.htm.
2013

Law , Search , Question , Help

“I know politicians are going to be judged on everything they say but sometimes in the heat of discussion you go a little bit further than you would if it was an absolutely calm, considered, prepared, scripted remark. The statements that need to be taken absolutely as gospel truth are those carefully prepared scripted remarks.”

Tony Abbott

Quoted in "Don't believe everything I say - Tony Abbott" http://www.news.com.au/national/dont-believe-everything-i-say-tony-abbott/story-e6frfkvr-1225867979082 on news.com.au, May 18, 2010.
2010

Truth

“I'll be accountable to the Australian public at the next election - they expect us to stop the boats and that's what we are doing.”

Tony Abbott

Quoted in "Tony Abbott compares stopping asylum-seeker boats to war" http://www.news.com.au/national/tony-abbott-compares-stopping-asylumseeker-boats-to-war/story-fncynjr2-1226798726896, News.com.au, January 10, 2014
2014

“Well, that was one boat that did get stopped, wasn't it?”

Tony Abbott

On the "Costa Concordia disaster" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Concordia_disaster, which claimed the lives of 33 people. Quoted in "Abbott under fire for Italian shipwreck joke" http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-20/abbott-in-stop-the-boats-gaffe/3784554 ABC News, January 20, 2012.
2012

“There may not be a great job for [aboriginal people] but whatever there is, they just have to do it… And if it's picking up rubbish around the community, it just has to be done.”

Tony Abbott

Quoted in the Australian, "Aboriginal people must get jobs, says Opposition leader Tony Abbott" http://www.news.com.au/features/federal-election/aboriginal-people-must-get-jobs-says-opposition-leader-tony-abbott/story-fn5tas5k-1225886350430 June 30, 2010.
2010

People , Communication

“That's bullshit. You're being deliberately unpleasant. I suppose you can't help yourself, can you?”

Tony Abbott

To then Shadow minister for Health Nicola Roxon after a debate before the Nation Press Gallery, subsequently quoted in http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/abbotts-day-from-hell/2007/10/31/1193618926551.html "Abbotts Day From Hell", Sydney Morning Herald, October 31, 2007
2007

Help

“What the housewives of Australia need to understand as they do the ironing is that if they get it done commercially it’s going to go up in price and their own power bills when they switch the iron on are going to go up.”

Tony Abbott

Quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald, "Abbott accused of being 'incredibly old-fashioned' as he lets off steam" http://www.smh.com.au/national/abbott-accused-of-being-incredibly-oldfashioned-as-he-lets-off-steam-20100209-nnqr.html, February 9, 2010.
2010

Understanding

“I don't really do diplomacy”

Tony Abbott

'I don't really do diplomacy': Tony Abbott unsure of his next move https://www.theage.com.au/federal-election-2019/i-don-t-really-do-diplomacy-tony-abbott-unsure-of-his-next-move-20190531-p51tbe.html; Sydney Morning Herald, June 2, 2019
Post-Parliament (2019-)