We campaigned on the fact that we were going to have to take difficult decisions because of the state of the public finances. When we got into government we discovered that actually the public finances were in an even worse state than we thought.

Unfortunately corruption is widespread in government agencies and public enterprises. Our political system promotes nepotism and wasting money. This has undermined our legal system and confidence in the functioning of the state. One of the consequences is that many citizens don't pay their taxes.

You know when Republicans were in charge we doubled the debt. But now our concern is the Democrats are in charge and they're tripling the debt. So really our concern is that we want smaller government.

In government offices which are sensitive to the vehemence and passion of mass sentiment public men have no sure tenure. They are in effect perpetual office seekers always on trial for their political lives always required to court their restless constituents.

Our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here the people rule.

Our constitution works. Our great republic is a government of laws not of men.

But I don't want massive layoffs of anyone - public or private. We are planning on shrinking government through attrition and reform not through random pink slips.

People in government and public life are being kicked around at a high rate of speed.

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.

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