If you know that something is true and just, and you give up, that's when you fail.
Andrew Forrest
Individuals and communities need to clearly tell government if they want parity for First Australians. Only this will overcome the vested interests of governments and administrators and see these practical, inexpensive solutions for what they are: a way to finally achieve results, with the strength of will from each of us.
We do need an attitude of leadership in our government which demonstrates faith in major population centres outside of Perth.
The teachings of the New Testament are the most valuable guide to the best way to a civil and sustainable society the world has seen.
Wherever we've gone around the world, we've found quite significant gaps: the holy texts, no matter which one you turn to, has ambiguity in it around slavery. That, we knew, was being used as justification by slavers all over the world.
Disparity is Australia's worst social problem. Thousands of lives are slowly being crushed, while billions are wasted on thousands of little initiatives trying to 'close the gap.'
I happen to be a big believer in home ownership. I'm also a big believer that if someone wants to have a crack at the mining industry in Port Hedland, then they should be able to collect their... benefits in Port Hedland even though they are from Alice Springs. It should be mobile.
There are people all over Australia who use their homes as hubs that they travel from, and they encourage their indigenous people to continue to stay there.
I would say to young entrepreneurs and budding philanthropists - are you giving to feel good or do good?
Statistically after six months, if an Indigenous or non-Indigenous person has come off welfare, even long-term welfare, and has stuck in that's job for six months, then they've really broken in their own psychology the welfare reliance mentality. They're up on their own two feet.
There's so many politicians who have given politics a pretty poor name... their actions have been demonstrated to be part of their over-enthusiasm to get reelected.
Tax can be structured in a way that actually encourages investment in infrastructure and encourages investment in Australia from overseas.
If you look hard at it, if you look hard at the bleeding heart attitude to always throw money at issues, throw money at problems, what you're in fact probably saying is you're exercising a prejudicism of low expectations.
What I would say is governments need assistance to run their organisations more efficiently just like businesses do.
I really do think I can make a contribution in helping eliminate the disparity here in Australia and doing my small bit to help eliminate slavery around the world. These are huge issues for our fellow countrymen and our fellows in the world, where slavery is growing at an alarming rate, and it needs to be arrested.
Australia has always encouraged the little bloke to have a go, the Aussie battler to get up.
My greatest love in life is to develop projects. I just get a huge kick out of that. I've been doing it since ever I could.
When you're asked/told to come to Canberra by your Prime Minister, in the country I grow up in, you obey that.
I will always put family first. Every time I haven't, I have regretted it and apologised.
We really need to change taxation policy so that it is not skewed against owning more than one house.
I'm never looking at life in terms of legacy.
You cannot afford a world with slavery, which literally takes someone and turns them into a machine.
I'd like to see the University of Western Australia and the other four or five universities in Western Australia really excel through having some of the greatest minds in the world attracted to it.
Wealthy people in Australia tend to give, and give very quietly.
I don't see why, if you look at how the Australian culture and psyche is, that we can't be amongst the most generous, from the grassroots up, nations in the world.
If you haven't had a few dents in your resume, you haven't tried.
I don't necessarily go to church every week, but I am a Christian, and I believe in God and Jesus Christ.
We are not about creating a Forrest dynasty, we're about helping others.
The most generous part of your philanthropy could be the time you put in to procure the same results and same outcomes and same returns you demand in business.
All industry, not just the mining industry, can get out and give Aboriginal companies a chance.
You don't try and put rockets under prime ministers.
I'd like to keep our kids in their schools. I'd like to keep our young men and women in jobs.
