Skip to content

Paul Keating Quotes

born 1944 Australia

Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944) is an Australian politician who was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996. As member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), he previously served as treasurer of Australia from 1983 to 1991 and as deputy prime minister of Australia from 1990 to 1991.

Australia
Economists
Politicians

Also known as: Keating, Paul

Random Paul Keating quote

29 quotes

This is the sweetest victory of all. This is a victory for the true believers; the people who, in difficult times, have kept the faith.

In the end it's the big picture which changes nations and whatever our opponents may say, Australia's changed inexorably for good, for the better.

China is simply too big and too central to be ostracised.

Never get between a Premier and a bucket of money.

The dogs may bark but the caravan moves on.

You just can't have a position where some pumped up bunyip potentate dismisses an elected government.

Australia without the Irish would be unthinkable... unimaginable... unspeakable.

For John Howard to get to any high moral ground he would have to first climb out of the volcanic hole he's dug for himself over the last decade.

The Placido Domingo of Australian politics.

Taiwan is not a vital Australian interest... we’ve always seen it as a part of China...

A familiar question for Australians is how much we are a product of our circumstances, and how much we are what we have made ourselves to be. In truth, by the act of migration the country was made: by that voluntary act and by the emigrants' ambitions it was built.

Taiwan is not a vital Australian interest.

It would make a cat laugh’: key moments from Paul Keating’s National Press Club appearance, The Guardian (2021)

It really surprises me that some people in this party think we owe Westpac something. Or the ANZ Bank. Or the National.

I used to refer to him as Thallium, a slow acting dope

The excesses of the 80s must not reappear in the 90s, The last thing we need now is a return to the 80s philosophy of 'greed is good' and that the only useful interest is self-interest.

We will not adopt the fantastic hypocrisy of modern conservatism which preaches the values of families and communities, while conducting a direct assault on them through reduced wages and conditions and job security.

John Howard turned the prime ministership into something like a state police minister. He's at the scene of every crime, twice a day on radio, the guy did no thinking.

While frenetic activity, in the end suiting journos; running at the behest of little press secretaries does not pay off

He’s the greatest L plater of all time.

If we give China the recognition I believe it is due in terms of its legitimacy … then I think a lot of these issues, the so-called 14 points, sort of fall off the table....

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Paul Keating (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.