The Blair government has lowered the standing of politics and politicians in our country.

The control of information is something the elite always does, particularly in a despotic form of government. Information, knowledge, is power. If you can control information, you can control people.

When I am abroad, I always make it a rule never to criticize or attack the government of my own country. I make up for lost time when I come home.

It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.

These guys were the real owners of the country, and for them to discuss with this young guy who becomes a member of the government was absolutely unacceptable.

In 1995 the whole political situation was very complicated. I was the first deputy prime minister, and at the same time I had very low influence in the government.

During the election in 1989, there was the first Soviet election with alternative candidates to local government. I myself arranged special training for them.

I am joining the government not from the academic position but from St. Petersburg city council.

I joined the city government, and we start to operate as the bureaucrats on the local level, so we were the only ones in the whole Russian team who were experienced in practical bureaucratic management in the complicated condition of 1990.

I went to government for making these changes. I remember a number of guys among these important figures.

Today we must make a pact with each other to end this reckless conduct with the people's government.

Someone has to stay on the line and say, no, we can do this by cutting spending and reducing the size of government. That's what I was committed to doing.

Is there any wonder why we are in such big trouble? Any question why the people don't trust their government anymore, and demand a change?

And I just think that we're at a point in our economic life here in our state - and - and, candidly, across the country, where increased taxes is just the wrong way to go. The people of our state are not convinced that state government, county government, local government has done all they can with the money we already give them, rather than the money that we have before.

Higher taxes is the road to ruin. We must and we will shrink our government, and that means making some tough choices, tightening our belts.