John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, I say that very generously. I even took a bit of stick from a couple of people in Sydney for having the audacity to say it. But my experience has been that, as an exercise in social, community and civic cohesion, the city of Melbourne is quite remarkable. It is a different city from other cities in that respect—and, if you want to get something done in an organised fashion, they do it very well indeed. The spirit in Melbourne over the Commonwealth Games was wonderful. I think everybody in this place, irrespective of the side they sit on, would like the reception that the Lord Mayor of Melbourne received every time his name was mentioned. John So has become something of a cult hero in Melbourne. I do not know what it is, but all of us had better find out, as it might improve our prospects.

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