Bob Hawke Quotes

The things which are most important don’t always scream the loudest.

By 1990, no Australian child will be living in poverty.

Do you know why I have credibility? Because I don't exude morality.

I find a fence a very uncomfortable place to squat my bottom.

The world will not wait for us.

My point was that the war was intrinsically wrong, and as a result of our participation we haven't improved Australia's security but created a greater danger at home and abroad.

I think it is just stupid economics for a government to approach economic management from a strand of thinking regarding unions as enemies.

Unless and until something concrete is done about addressing the Israeli-Palestinian issue you won't get a real start on the war against terrorism.

We will not allow to become a political issue in this country the question of Asianisation.

I really had very little to do with Pierre Trudeau. He was off the scene very soon.

I can't speak with authority about Emeka Anyaoku. I just didn't know him that well.

I hated [Robert Mugabe]. He's one of the worst human beings I've ever met. He treated black and white with equal contempt. He was a horrible human being.

I had no time for Indira Gandhi. She was too much in the Russian camp for my liking.

Bill Heseltine had been at university with me, at the University of Western Australia. I knew him well.

[John Howard] led the Government. They had the numbers, and just basically automatically went along with the Americans.

[ Elizabeth II] has immersed herself, in the sense [that] she can speak intelligently about any and all members of the Commonwealth and she has played a role.

I had a very close relationship with [Brian] Mulroney.

We had a very good relationship. Very good. I liked [Sonny Ramphal]. I thought he was a genuine man.

I don't know who described Mahathir [bin Mohamad] as a pillar of the Commonwealth, but they don't know what they're talking about.

Geoffrey [Howe] and I were mates, and he disagreed with [ Margaret Thatcher] position. So, we cooperated surreptitiously.

I believe [ Rajiv Gandhi] had a real sense that he would be assassinated.

I went along with it, and wanted to appoint a significant figure in Malcolm Fraser. I didn't have high hopes that they'd be able to do anything, but something was worth a try.

One of the features of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings was [that] she [ Elizabeth II] would have a meeting with each of them. You'd have an allotted time.

She [ Elizabeth II] is, you know, "Do-what-you're-told, Lady". But in the Commonwealth, she is much more than just a figurehead.

Brian Mulroney, myself, [and] Rajiv Gandhi; I think that was the real core [of the Commonwealth ]. That was the engine room, I reckon.

As far as we're concerned, there was no sporting organisation [that] should have anything to do with the sport in South Africa.

[ Rajiv Gandhi] was such an infinitely more attractive leader than his mother.

If you've got good chemistry at the top, it's an enormous help. It's easy to have good chemistry with some, not so easy with others. With [Robert Mugabe], for example.

It had things that it could do and which I thought were worthwhile: one would be South Africa, of course. And, as I said, I assumed a leadership role within the Commonwealth on that.

George Bush Junior [George W Bush] was a religious fanatic, and Tony Blair wasn't far behind in a way.

I respected [Margaret Thatcher] enormously. She had great integrity in that respect.

Institutions do live on their history.