Tony Abbott Quotes

There can be no faith in government if our highest offices are excused from scrutiny - they should be setting the example of transparency.

Question Period is not part of the legislative process, and has nothing to do with it. It is a means of monitoring the Executive that the Government cannot evade.

The government takes the opposition day debates incredibly seriously.

I do strongly believe myself that members of the government who sit in the House of Lords should be accountable to the elected House because otherwise there is a democratic deficit, and that is wrong.

We'll support the government on issues if it's essential to the country but our primary responsibility is not to prop up the government, our responsibility is to provide an opposition and an alternative government for Parliament and for Canadians.

Even in non-democratic countries, people have a legitimate interest in knowing about actions taken by the government.

Only the Liberal Democrats have probed the government's failings consistently, thoroughly and effectively.

Parliament of the country is the repository of the sovereign will of the people, and its successful functioning is a joint responsibility of both the government and the Opposition.

The government itself is — and should be — accountable when its officials run amok.

The duty of an Opposition is to oppose.

It is the duty of parliament to look at the men as well as the measures.

No government can long be secure without a formidable Opposition.

We are hiring too many people who are called politicians, and we are not holding them accountable…. You do not hire someone and not tell them what to do. Make a trip to Washington and see that they are doing what you want them to do.

Opposition, n. In politics the party that prevents the Government from running amok by hamstringing it.

What makes a politician accountable is not that there are millions of people who vote, but that there are procedures of government that force him to account for himself.

We shouldn't have to pass a bill to find out what's in it.

I prefer the Greens to remain an opposition party that's able to hold the government to account.

In the end, the responsibility of government abuse lies with the president.

It's important to make sure that governments have some checks on what they do, that people can oversee what's being done so the government doesn't abuse it.

We should never forget the government should be held accountable for providing services.

The Liberals, apparently, want to prorogue the House. They want to run out of town, get out of town just one step ahead of the sheriff. Is the Liberal government committed to staying here as planned throughout the month of November so that it can be held accountable in the House for its actions?... Now is it true that the government will prorogue the House so that it will not be held accountable for its shameful record.

There's a real danger in the way our representative government functions today. It functions properly only when paired with accountability.

It's my father's legacy. My father's view was that the public is the employer of these government employees and has the right to know what they're up to.

I decided to run for governor because I got mad... I want to make government more directly accountable to the people.

In Washington, particularly, the loyal opposition has a job to be the opposition. But you can't stop there.