Well, Michael, we will be telling the people of Australia in good time before the next election exactly what they can expect from us. No surprises, no excuses. They will be our watch words going into the election and afterwards, should we form a government.

There is much to be said for an emissions trading scheme. It was, after all, the mechanism for emission reduction ultimately chosen by the Howard government.

The quality of government, I suppose, is determined not by what happens, but by how you react to what happens.

The Australian people expect the Government to govern, they don't expect it to make excuses.

Today, we have got more excuses from the government.

People who have put money aside on the basis of a certain set of rules shouldn't have that money raided just because government has got a problem.

Voluntary paid maternity leave: yes; compulsory paid maternity leave: over this Government’s dead body, frankly. It just won’t happen.