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In opposition, there's not much one can do. One doesn't have the carrot and one doesn't have the stick. One can't promote and one can't fire. And persuasion has its limits.

— John Turner

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Source and credibility

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Source: Explaining why he did not punish objectors to his Liberal Party leadership, published in the Toronto Star, June 19, 1990.
Source quality: Precise citation Points to a specific work with a page, chapter, date or similar locator, so you can look it up.

More by John Turner

I'm not just in this race so you will remember my name at some future date. I'm not here now for some next time. I am not bidding now for your consideration for some vague convention in 1984- perhaps when I've mellowed a bit. My time is now and now is no time for mellow men!

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We must never give up on this country! Never, never, never, never!

In any democracy, there is always a tug-of-war between policies to achieve equality and policies to promote excellence. I am certain that Canada can achieve both equality and excellence.

I'm not going to allow Mr. Mulroney to sell out our birthright, I'm not going to let Mr. Mulroney destroy a great 120 year old dream called Canada.

Democracy does not happen by accident.

I've told you and I've told the Canadian people, Mr. Mulroney, that I had no option.

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: John Turner (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.