Kevin Rudd quotes

Kevin Rudd is an Australian politician and diplomat, best known for serving as Prime Minister of Australia. His leadership focused on domestic reforms and shaping Australia’s role in global affairs. He has also served as Foreign Minister and is recognized for his work on international relations. Here are 49 of his quotes:

It is unlikely that you'll have anything emerge from MEF (Major Economies Forum) by way of detailed programmatic specificity. (Kevin Rudd)
My name is Kevin, I'm from Queensland, and I'm here to help. View quote
Kevin Rudd
There's nothing like having a bit of somebody else in you. View quote
Kevin Rudd
We have seen this complete right wing takeover of modern liberalism, and it is an ugly spectacle to behold. View quote
Kevin Rudd
Compassion is not a dirty word. Compassion is not a sign of weakness. In my view, compassion in politics and in public policy is in fact a hallmark of great strength. It is a hallmark of a society which has about it a decency which speaks for itself. View quote
Kevin Rudd
... 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 future, of intervening diplomatically in support of Australian nationals who face capital sentences abroad. View quote
Kevin Rudd
John Howard's credibility on the entire Iraq war has been torpedoed by John Howard's own intelligence agency. View quote
Kevin Rudd
The major challenges of climate change, the major challenge of the economy and manufacturing, the major challenges in education, and how do we turbo-charge our national education system to create the knowledge base for the future of the Australian economy. These are the sorts of areas that you're going to see detailed policy plans from us in the weeks and months ahead... View quote
Kevin Rudd
When it comes to labour market reform, here's the difference between us and John Howard: John Howard regards labour as just like any other economic commodity. We actually see labour as made up of human beings. These are human beings with an intrinsic dignity. When they go to the workplace, they're not just like a lump of wood or a piece of coal, these are human beings, and they should be treated properly as people with intrinsic rights. View quote
Kevin Rudd
2009 was a tough year, but Australia rose to the challenge of the global financial crisis. It shows what can be done when we all join together and work together, governments of all persuasions state, territory and local; businesses large and small; unions and local communities right across the nation. View quote
Kevin Rudd
Australia is a nation of compassion. Courage and compassion. And the third of these great values: resilience. (Kevin Rudd)
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 not - to come together to reconcile and together build a new future for our nation. View quote
Kevin Rudd
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. View quote
Kevin Rudd
I say to those opposite: we intend to prevail in this battle of ideas, on the ground, right through to the next election. We intend to prevail. View quote
Kevin Rudd
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 beings cannot spend time with one another. However, the problem is that these industrial relations laws now set that disease in place right across the nation in every workplace, in every part of the country. What I fear most of all is the ultimate impact of this on the fabric of Australian family life. View quote
Kevin Rudd
[But] we should not be kowtowing to anybody when it comes to freedom in this country. View quote
Kevin Rudd
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. View quote
Kevin Rudd
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. View quote
Kevin Rudd
If he has any self-respect he would resign over this matter, the negligence is so gross. View quote
Kevin Rudd
Everyone's entitled to their point of view but that's seriously a weird one. View quote
Kevin Rudd
We are moving toward recognition of the first Australians in the Australian constitution. (Kevin Rudd)
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 mutual responsibility, the truth is we can achieve very little. View quote
Kevin Rudd
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. View quote
Kevin Rudd
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 its culture and to end the power of faceless men. Australia must be governed by the people, not by the factions. View quote
Kevin Rudd
There are many who criticise the United Nations. And those of us who know this institution well know that it is not immune from criticism. But those who argue against the United Nations advance no credible argument as to what should replace it. Whatever its imperfections, the United Nations represents a necessary democracy of states. View quote
Kevin Rudd