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.”

“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.”

“I always had a long-term view of going into politics, so I suppose I was always careful. I mean, I got offered all these rinky dink tax deals, but I always paid my taxes. I am naturally quite conservative.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“My mother had an incredibly strong accent - although I couldn't hear it - and she was the main person there, so I'll have learnt to speak English from her.”

“The Government has to stop borrowing as much money; if we don't, quite frankly New Zealand will be downgraded and interest rates will go up for all New Zealanders.”

“We have been given the trust and goodwill of New Zealanders. I do not take that trust for granted, and I never will.”

“You are not going to change me and if you do, it will look like a fraud, it will be a fraud.”

“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.”

“The world, whether we like it or not, will become more and more borderless.”

“You can't base an industry solely on one person. That's a very vulnerable business strategy.”

“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.”

“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.”

“I believe the future of our country can be really great.”

“There is much more good gained from having a fully functioning financial market than there ever is not having that.”

“I dare you to show me one example where I haven't discharged my responsibility seriously, professionally and appropriately.”

“I'm often at events when they're quite light-hearted social events when people would want me to kid around.”

“New Zealand as a whole needs to save more, spend less and reduce our reliance on foreign debt.”