Joe Lhota Quotes

Good ideas are the backbone of good government.

The role of government is to steer us in the right direction, not do all the work for us.

Government is about hard choices.

So I went into government with a clear mind about what the problems were, and what needed to be done.

As governor, I learned the importance of having an agenda.

Managing a country is like managing a company in many ways. It maybe involves more complicated issues, but it's the same skills.

Government functions best as a catalyst, not a cure. We need a smarter, more effective government, not a bigger one.

The country is carried comfortably down the river, and the function of Government is to occasionally put out an oar to prevent running into the bank.

Government has much wider dimensions than merely managing an economy.

The job of government is to govern. They ought to get on with it.

I did not love politics. As a matter of fact, I hated politics. I loved governing which is … a different thing.

Government is about priorities.

Running the country is like running one big business.

In our complex world, there cannot be fruitful initiative without government, but unfortunately there can be government without initiative.

If you look at government policy generally, what government tries to do in all instances is to make sure that we take care of all elements that might relate to a particular issue.

Government cannot be all things to all people.

The central issue of our time - of all times - is the size, power and scope of government.

I'm convinced the question of development is mainly an issue of governance and leadership.

I've always believed as a value that the government has a vital - not overwhelming, but vital - role to play in furthering human welfare and good. I think we have an important supportive role to play, hopefully intelligent and sensible.

Government is not show business.

Any cook should be able to run the country.

Governments will always play a huge part in solving big problems. They set public policy and are uniquely able to provide the resources to make sure solutions reach everyone who needs them. They also fund basic research, which is a crucial component of the innovation that improves life for everyone.

Most of the energy devoted to political work is devoted to correcting the effects of mismanagement of government.

Being a cabinet minister is not like running a company. A country is not a company.

As we seek to improve the management of the federal government, we should keep in mind that the government is not a private corporation. What may make sense for a large corporation may not always make sense for the federal government. In our quest for efficiency, we must not lose sight of the reasons why we enacted certain federal programs in the first place.