I want to leave New Zealand in better shape than I found it. I know the job of prime minister is not forever and I’m going to do the best I can every day to make that difference. – John Key
We have been given the trust and goodwill of New Zealanders. I do not take that trust for granted, and I never will. – John Key
It’s possible to spend every waking hour here on the ninth floor and not get out of the office. And this isn’t the real world in here. And contrary to public opinion, I’m not incredibly poll-driven. They are an ongoing indicator of how we are going, but I take the feedback I get on the street as being the most important. – John Key
If I had terminal cancer, I had a few weeks to live, I was in tremendous amount of pain – if they just effectively wanted to turn off the switch and legalise that by legalising euthanasia, I’d want that. – John Key
I have always thought, genuinely thought, that elections are like world cups. They sometimes look easier from the outside and they are very difficult when you are in the middle of them. – John Key
New Zealand as a whole needs to save more, spend less and reduce our reliance on foreign debt. – John Key
You can’t base an industry solely on one person. That’s a very vulnerable business strategy. – John Key
I used to think… that people would think badly of me for various stuff they read. But now I accept it’s just part of the deluge of stuff that comes every day. – John Key
I have more engagement with New Zealand than people might think. Unlike the impression I have of the American president, who sits in the Oval Office and people come to them. – John Key
Investment is crucial. Because the truth is, you only get jobs and growth in the economy when people invest money, at their own risk, in setting up a business or expanding an existing business. – John Key
You get out of life what you put into it. I think you need a bit of luck but you also make a bit of luck. I think that if you’re a pretty decent person you’ll get back what you put in. – John Key
I have quite a strong sense of wanting to sort of, wanting to help others. I’m not claiming I’m a saint, but I have a genuine, genuine belief in trying to help others. – John Key
The public talk colloquially, the public’s grammar’s not perfect. They kid around and I don’t think they overly mark me down for that. They just see me as a normal guy. – John Key
I’ve always been a glass-half-full as opposed to a glass-half-empty, and the day that changes is the day I should leave. – John Key
I guess I’m reasonably confident in all honesty. But I definitely don’t think I’m arrogant. I’m pretty down to earth, I mean I’m genuinely down to earth. – John Key
New Zealand needs to balance its environmental responsibilities with its economic opportunities, because the risk is that if you don’t do that – and you want to lead the world – then you might end up getting unintended consequences. – John Key
I think for the most part people are proud of the bicultural foundation New Zealand is built on and the fact that we are a multicultural society. – John Key
I was really fascinated by politics. It always has been part of my view that politics really is a calling or you wouldn’t go into it, because it’s demanding and potentially has a toll on you and your family. – John Key
Bronagh looks after the kids and without her the family would disintegrate… there are some things you can’t discuss with anyone other than your wife. There has to be a strong bond of trust. – John Key
Moral persuasion over a period of time makes a difference, but we shouldn’t be naive to think that just because we raise it in a meeting it will make all those problems go away. It won’t and it doesn’t. – John Key
Your personality as the prime minister feeds through to what you emphasise, and what you don’t, how you’ll handle a situation – whether you’ve got the combination of intelligence or instincts to adapt and to make good decisions. – John Key
You are not going to change me and if you do, it will look like a fraud, it will be a fraud. – John Key
