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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.