..Asians generally pursue their goals with others in ways which are subtle, indirect, modulated, devious, nonjudgemental, nonmoralistic and nonconfrontational. Australians, in contrast, are the most direct, blunt, outspoken, some would say insensitive, people in the English speaking world.
Harvard Political Scientist Samuel Huntington, The Clash of Civilisations and the Remaking of the World Order,
Excerpt from Keating [ex PM] and Asia don't mix, The Australian Financial Review, 14 March, 2000
He's a tough guy. A lot of people found his Australianness difficult to deal with. He could be blunt and he often didn't respect convention. [But], he was extremely bright. He would turn problems upside down and look at them in a different way.
David Mansfield commenting on Jonathan Shier, Sydney Morning Herald, 17 February 2001
He wanted to be described as a Pommy who left his mark and became a fair dinkum Australian. From my experience of dealing with him, he was certainly a fair dinkum Australian. He told it exactly as it was.
Minister for Health and Community Care commenting on John Gilchrist
ACT Week 5 Hansard (27 August 1988) Page 1424
You can get up after me, goose. You can get up after me if you want to have a go.
Parliamentary member Mr Stirling commenting to another member
NT Eighth Assembly First Session 22/02/2000 Parliamentary Record No:21
he did not hesitate to denounce his politcal opponents as "scumbags", "perfumed gigolos," and "brain damaged looney crims".... While arguing that Australia must be asian, [ex Australian Prime Minister] Keating regularly irritated, shocked and antagonised Asian leaders by his brute frankness.... [he] embodied Australian national characterisics to the extreme
Harvard Political Scientist Samuel Huntington, The Clash of Civilisations and the Remaking of the World Order,
Excerpt from Keating [ex PM] and Asia don't mix, The Australian Financial Review, 14 March, 2000
Further quotes illustrating the great "no bullshit" Australian trait of telling it the way it is can be seen throughout the site - including in the context of other legendary ex-prime ministers Bob Hawke and Gough Whitlam.
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