Tony Abbott Quotes

And the commitment that I've been giving to the Australian people is that there'll be no surprises and no excuses under a Coalition government.

Well, Michael, we will be telling the people of Australia in good time before the next election exactly what they can expect from us. No surprises, no excuses. They will be our watch words going into the election and afterwards, should we form a government.

We will be a consultative, collegial government. No surprises, no excuses. That's what you'll get under the Coalition.

I don't think people maybe think that the government does tell them the truth. I think they expect politicians who are going to tell them one thing and then when they get in office do something else.

I think the record shows that as Speaker, I have taken the lead in cleaning up politics.

Certainly accountability of government is what people are clamoring for; they want to know that when lawmakers make a promise or a proposal, you can actually accomplish it.

The American people are starved for two things: The truth and leadership.

Bringing accountability to Washington has been an important part of my time in office and an important part of my campaign.

The responsibility for good government lies not just with governments themselves but also with every other part of the system they operate in, including media, non-governmental organisations and the public.

A prime minister must not promise things that can't be fulfilled.

I believe transparency in government is key to restoring our nation's faith in its elected leaders.

Ever since I arrived in Washington in April 2009, I have been fighting for more transparency and accountability in government.

Any unveiling is also veiling. No matter how transparent our governments want to be, governments will be selectively transparent.

I'm concerned about truth and credibility in government.

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

We should be able to go to our government and get clear answers.

Men must turn square corners when they deal with the Government.

If you set as your goal to roll back the size of government, you have an obligation to answer the tough questions and show real courage, not just appeal to ideology. Treat the voters like adults.

It's time to fundamentally change the way that we do business in Washington. To help build a new foundation for the 21st century, we need to reform our government so that it is more efficient, more transparent, and more creative. That will demand new thinking and a new sense of responsibility for every dollar that is spent.

On taking office, Obama promised the 'most transparent' administration in history; yet his record as president has been anything but transparent.

The American people deserve truthfulness, not more political campaigning. The American people deserve a responsible government that seeks to address their needs, not more ideological dogma.

Benghazi matters because Americans deserve to know the truth from those entrusted to lead and govern.

What we are missing, utterly and completely, in this government is accountability.

In politics, there's a kind of literal-mindedness. It's what you say, not what you mean, and you have to say only what you mean.

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