John Howard Quotes

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

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

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 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

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

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

- John Howard

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

- 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

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

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

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

- John Howard

We want to assert the very principle that truth is absolute, truth is supreme, truth is never disposable in national political life.

- 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

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

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

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

- 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

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

- John Howard

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

- John Howard

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

- John Howard

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

- 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

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

- John Howard

You can't fatten the pig on market day.

- John Howard

We will decide who comes to our country.

- John Howard

I hate guns.

- John Howard