All too often government's response to social breakdown has been a classic case of 'patching' - a case of handing money out containing problems and limiting the damage but in doing so supporting - even reinforcing - dysfunctional behaviour.

Government cannot do it all. As we work hard to break welfare dependency and get young people ready for the labour market we need businesses to give them a chance and not just fall back on labour from abroad.

The government's desire to expand global trade may be understandable but we mustn't give away too much. We must tell our elected representatives to at least delay the Canada-China FIPA until it has been examined more thoroughly and to reconsider the inclusion of investor-state arbitration mechanisms in all trade deals.

Look I think the worst case scenario is obvious. I think first of all it doesn't work for very long. It's an unstable government that raises taxes and destroys the image we're building for Canada as a strong place to invest.

I forget what the relevant American rate is but I can tell you that our goal is to have a combined federal-provincial corporate tax rate of no more than 25 percent. We're on target to do that by 2012. We will have significantly - by a significant margin the lowest corporate tax rates in the G-7 and that's our - our government's objective.

I think the American government is now the most corrupt government in the world.

We've got to see a state where the Afghan government can handle its own day-to-day security.

What the government has to do if it wants to govern for any length of time is it must appeal primarily to the third parties in the House of Commons to get them to support it.

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.

We should have been there shoulder to shoulder with our allies. Our concern is the instability of our government as an ally. We are playing again with national and global security matters.

The Leader of the Opposition's constitutional obligation - the obligation to Parliament - it's the reason we did the merger! - is to make sure Canadians have an alternative for government.

It's the government's obligation to look really to the third parties to get the support to govern.

There is nothing anyone can do anyway. The public has no power. The government knows I'm not a criminal. The parole board knows I'm not a criminal. The judge knows I'm not a criminal.

If you want to be a government in a minority Parliament you have to work with other people.

In any crass political calculation drilling for oil will always win more votes than putting a price on carbon. But if I recall what I was taught in fifth-grade American government class we elect presidents to do more than crass political calculations.

I don't believe an Alliance government should sponsor legislation on abortion or a referendum on abortion.

First of all I can't forget my first responsibility - which is to be the Leader of the Opposition and that's to provide an alternative government.

The Framers of the Bill of Rights did not purport to 'create' rights. Rather they designed the Bill of Rights to prohibit our Government from infringing rights and liberties presumed to be preexisting.

Where there is little or no public opinion there is likely to be bad government which sooner or later becomes autocratic government.

Power without principle is barren but principle without power is futile. This is a party of government and I will lead it as a party of government.

Let's be honest about this the liberal agenda with failed stimulus plans and government entitlement programs is crippling our economy and our quality of life.

Populism is not a style it's a people's rebellion against the iron grip that big corporations have on our country - including our economy government media and environment.

History tells us that America does best when the private sector is energetic and entrepreneurial and the government is attentive and engaged. Who among us really would looking back wish to edit out either sphere at the entire expense of the other?

The fact is that America has been at her most prosperous when government and the private sector have been not at war but in a wary if often underplayed alliance. History is unmistakable on this point.