Quotes from John Hewson

The reality is, it will be a significant conflict going for many, many months, if not longer. Saddam Hussein is not a fool. He hasn't been sitting there waiting to get shot for 13 years.

I was not a politician.

I think the Prime Minister has embarked on a journey and he has no idea where he's taking us.

To make us a terrorist target in a region that is full of terrorism is dumb and unforgiveable.

I'm not tied to any particular political line.

I never wanted to separate from either wife. It was accumulated stress. We had virtually no time to ourselves. After politics we were both working very hard to establish new careers.

I got a bit enamoured with bigger houses and things like that.

Tony Blair will probably get thrown out by his party.

The only person you resent is yourself.

We've lost sight of our role in the region and our view of our colleagues in the region.

Silence is best.

I was just absolutely exhausted. The media said I've been treated for a nervous breakdown. All that stuff I just took as people taking the opportunity when you're down to give you a kick.

To send our troops, our ships, our planes to this war is ridiculous.

I've been arguing this for months. This is not our war. This is not a war we should be in. Australia's better spending its time negotiating with North Korea.

Hussein has a strategy. I'm sure he'll implement that strategy, and it would be to our detriment. We're embarking on an exercise about which we know nothing.

It's not just the war itself. It's what you do after the war and what structure you put in place and how you make that structure work.