---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [John Howard] led the Government. They…"
description: "\"[John Howard] led the Government. They had the numbers, and just basically automatically went along with the Americans.\" — Bob Hawke"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee1/bob-hawke-7891_government_john-howard-led-the-government-they-had_3133066.jpg"
---

#  \[John Howard\] led the Government. They had the numbers…

![“[John Howard] led the Government. They had the numbers, and just basically automatically went along with the Americans.” quote by Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee1/bob-hawke-7891_government_john-howard-led-the-government-they-had_3133066.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee1/bob-hawke-7891_government_john-howard-led-the-government-they-had_3133066.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee1/bob-hawke-7891_government_john-howard-led-the-government-they-had_3133066.jpg)

> “\[John Howard\] led the Government. They had the numbers, and just basically automatically went along with the Americans.”

[Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Leadership often follows dominant allies, sometimes at the cost of independent decision‑making.

**In simple terms:** Following powerful partners can limit autonomy.

Key Takeaway

Question independent judgment.

Themes

politics leadership sovereignty

Mood

cautious reflective

Type

political analytical

When to use this quote

- policy negotiation
- international relations
- government decisions

Key Concepts

power dynamics dependency

Questions to Reflect On

- How can a government balance alliance with autonomy?
- What safeguards protect sovereignty?

A Different Perspective

Relying on others may compromise national interests.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/)

## Related quotes

> [Logically, a Congress-led government looks difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-jaitley/logically-a-congress-led-government-looks-difficult/)

[Arun Jaitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-jaitley/)

> [My party will not be with any BJP or Congress-led government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-patnaik/my-party-will-not-be-with-any-bjp-or-congress-led-government/)

[Naveen Patnaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-patnaik/)

> [People from all walks of life have benefited from pro-people schemes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-thakur/people-from-all-walks-of-life-have-benefited-from-pro-people-schemes/)

[Anurag Thakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-thakur/)

> [A Lewis-led government will always stand up for Canadian farmers and our agriculture sector.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslyn-lewis/a-lewis-led-government-will-always-stand-up-for-canadian-farmers-and/)

[Leslyn Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslyn-lewis/)

> [These are tough times and under this Tory-led government many people in Manchester are suffering and getting left behind. If elected I will use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-powell/these-are-tough-times-and-under-this-tory-led-government-many-people/)

[Lucy Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-powell/)

> [John Howard Davies was not a very human person... if you made a mistake of any kind, any sort of pause in speech, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-chapman/john-howard-davies-was-not-a-very-human-person-if-you-made-a-mistake/)

[Graham Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-chapman/)

> [ “\[Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard\] would not schedule any Cabinet meetings in the evening because he'd previously observed as a minister that any… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fleur-anderson/former-australian-prime-minister-john-howard-would-not-schedule-any/)

Fleur Anderson

> [John Howard has gone a bridge too far by not going far enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-rudd/john-howard-has-gone-a-bridge-too-far-by-not-going-far-enough/)

[Kevin Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-rudd/)

> [“What made this particularly interesting is that John Howard is by far the dullest man in Australia. Imagine a very committed funeral home director…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/what-made-this-particularly-interesting-is-that-john-howard-is-by-far/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [“John Howard performed a triple reverse somersault on his promise to never, ever introduce a GST under a government he led, and was met…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-anne-walsh/john-howard-performed-a-triple-reverse-somersault-on-his-promise-to/)

[Kerry-Anne Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-anne-walsh/)

> [John Howard turned the prime ministership into something like a state police minister. He's at the scene of every crime, twice a day on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/john-howard-turned-the-prime-ministership-into-something-like-a-state/)

[Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/)

> [You would have to say of John Howard's government that he has tended to go after things with a fair degree of determination, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-corrigan/you-would-have-to-say-of-john-howard-s-government-that-he-has-tended/)

[Chris Corrigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-corrigan/)

> [For John Howard to get to any high moral ground he would have to first climb out of the volcanic hole he's dug for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/for-john-howard-to-get-to-any-high-moral-ground-he-would-have-to/)

[Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/)

> [John Howard's credibility on the entire Iraq war has been torpedoed by John Howard's own intelligence agency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-rudd/john-howard-s-credibility-on-the-entire-iraq-war-has-been-torpedoed/)

[Kevin Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-rudd/)

> [John Howard, willing to apologise to home owners for rising interest rates, would not say sorry to Aborigines. He refused to condone what he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/john-howard-willing-to-apologise-to-home-owners-for-rising-interest/)

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

## More by Bob Hawke

> [ Brian Mulroney, myself, \[and\] Rajiv Gandhi; I think that was the real core \[of the Commonwealth \]. That was the engine room, I reckon. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/brian-mulroney-myself-and-rajiv-gandhi-i-think-that-was-the-real-core/)

[Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/)

> [While society cannot provide employment for its members, the production/work/income nexus has to be abandoned as a justification for our present parsimony to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/while-society-cannot-provide-employment-for-its-members-the/)

[Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/)

> [ We \[ with Brian Mulroney and Rajiv Gandhi\] went to the meeting in Canada \[the 1987 Vancouver CHOGM\] and I said to them there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/we-with-brian-mulroney-and-rajiv-gandhi-went-to-the-meeting-in-canada/)

[Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/)

> [ I told \[ David Lange\] he was crazy, because you can't have an alliance relationship if you refuse access to their ships. And the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/i-told-david-lange-he-was-crazy-because-you-can-t-have-an-alliance/)

[Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/)

> [I find a fence a very uncomfortable place to squat my bottom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/i-find-a-fence-a-very-uncomfortable-place-to-squat-my-bottom/)

[Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/)

> [ There is a reciprocal respect for \[ Elizabeth II\], for her interest in the Commonwealth. The members of the Commonwealth recognise that here is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/there-is-a-reciprocal-respect-for-elizabeth-ii-for-her-interest-in/)

[Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/)

> [We are building together a nation in which there are no second-class Australians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/we-are-building-together-a-nation-in-which-there-are-no-second-class/)

[Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/)

> [I had no time for Indira Gandhi. She was too much in the Russian camp for my liking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/i-had-no-time-for-indira-gandhi-she-was-too-much-in-the-russian-camp/)

[Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/)

> [I wrote a letter to our Australian newspaper about three weeks before the invasion and I said, "Osama bin Laden must be on his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/i-wrote-a-letter-to-our-australian-newspaper-about-three-weeks-before/)

[Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/)

> [I can't speak with authority about Emeka Anyaoku. I just didn't know him that well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/i-can-t-speak-with-authority-about-emeka-anyaoku-i-just-didn-t-know/)

[Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/)

> [ George Bush Junior \[George W Bush\] was a religious fanatic, and Tony Blair wasn't far behind in a way. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/george-bush-junior-george-w-bush-was-a-religious-fanatic-and-tony/)

[Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/)

> [I felt completely ready to become prime minister. I came to office better equipped, in terms of knowledge of economics and of the Australian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/i-felt-completely-ready-to-become-prime-minister-i-came-to-office/)

[Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/)

> [I went along with it, and wanted to appoint a significant figure in Malcolm Fraser. I didn't have high hopes that they'd be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/i-went-along-with-it-and-wanted-to-appoint-a-significant-figure-in/)

[Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/)

> [ One of the features of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings was \[that\] she \[ Elizabeth II\] would have a meeting with each of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/one-of-the-features-of-the-commonwealth-heads-of-government-meetings/)

[Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/)

> [The greatest stain upon this great Australian nation's character, without any question, is the great gaps that exist between our Aboriginal brothers and sisters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/the-greatest-stain-upon-this-great-australian-nation-s-character/)

[Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/)

[Explore all 86 Bob Hawke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/)

## More Government quotes

> [We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. The ordinary Afghan is sick and tired of it, because it's she or he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/we-could-form-a-government-of-national-unity-fighting-corruption-the/)

[Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/)

> [For the Scottish government, the practice of having meetings in different parts of the country is well established, but for the U.K. government, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/for-the-scottish-government-the-practice-of-having-meetings-in/)

[Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/)

> [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

> [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/)

[Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/)

> [Right now we're concerned about budget. Right now we're concerned about the prospect of interest rate rise. We're concerned about government corruption, government handing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/right-now-we-re-concerned-about-budget-right-now-we-re-concerned/)

[Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/)

> [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/)

[Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/)

> [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

> [Louisiana's spicy, colorful politics have saddled our state with a reputation for tolerating lax ethical standards in government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kennedy/louisiana-s-spicy-colorful-politics-have-saddled-our-state-with-a/)

[John Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kennedy/)

> [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/)

Greg Perry

> [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/)

[Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/)

> [He is almost a statesman. He lies well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/he-is-almost-a-statesman-he-lies-well/)

[Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/)

> [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/)

[Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/)

> [We can't have a government that will collapse in three months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-varadkar/we-can-t-have-a-government-that-will-collapse-in-three-months/)

[Leo Varadkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-varadkar/)

> [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

[Browse all 21,248 Government quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "[John Howard] led the Government. They had the numbers, and just basically automatically went along with the Americans.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bob Hawke"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/john-howard-led-the-government-they-had-the-numbers-and-just/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Government"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/john-howard-led-the-government-they-had-the-numbers-and-just/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee1/bob-hawke-7891_government_john-howard-led-the-government-they-had_3133066.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee1/bob-hawke-7891_government_john-howard-led-the-government-they-had_3133066.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee1/bob-hawke-7891_government_john-howard-led-the-government-they-had_3133066.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“[John Howard] led the Government. They had the numbers, and just basically automatically went along with the…” — Bob Hawke",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Bob Hawke",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "[John Howard] led the Government. They...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/john-howard-led-the-government-they-had-the-numbers-and-just/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/john-howard-led-the-government-they-had-the-numbers-and-just/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```