Once upon a time, I thought denial was a river in Egypt. It's actually the attitude of the Abbott government.

I've spent my whole working life standing up for workers. Didn't matter if it was the two trapped miners at Beaconsfield or professional netballers or indeed factory workers or construction workers.

I want to build a Big Labor party. A party of big ideas. A party which is deeply connected to the community. A party which reflects our diverse nation.

I'm a Christian and a supporter of marriage equality under the law.

What I believe to be every Australian's right - a good, safe job with proper pay and conditions.

My preference is that employees pay their union dues, but what I also get is that I'd rather someone be in the union than not in the union.

Labor is at its best when we are the party of ideas and action - ideas that empower the powerless and actions that build a better Australia for the long term.

I'm proud of my record of negotiating agreements, representing people and making sure that both employers and employees could get the best out of going to work every day.

Productivity is driven at the enterprise level. Better wages, better performing workplaces, are driven at the workplace level.

When I entered federal parliament at the end of 2007, I was appointed parliamentary secretary for disabilities.

Trusting people to pursue their own futures invariably provides better outcomes. Money goes where it is needed, rather than being absorbed by administration costs.

It was as though her tongue were a heavy weight in her mouth, and now her heart was even heavier for having kept silent.

Rationality and common sense never goes out of fashion.

...Myths aren’t fairy tales or legends—they’re an honest attempt to explain mysteries...

When the negative thoughts come - and they will they come to all of us - it's not enough to just not dwell on it... You've got to replace it with a positive thought.

Silence is the garden of thought.

I can be 100 years old but I will always be proud to say I was in Harry Potter.

Life is a b*tch depending how you dress her.

I'd like to say I'd like to be as big as a Gwen or a Madonna, but I think those days of achieving that level are over. The media is bringing everybody down.

The longer you wait to launch an innovation, the less your effort is worth.

I would like to remind the black ministry and indeed all black people that God is not in the habit of coming down from heaven to solve people's problems on earth.