--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: First of all, I can't forget my first…" description: "\"First of all, I can't forget my first responsibility - which is to be the Leader of the Opposition and that's to provide an alternative government.\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07e/stephen-harper-3432_forget_first-of-all-i-can-t-forget-my-first-res_3042312.png" --- # First of all, I can't forget my first responsibility… ![“First of all, I can't forget my first responsibility - which is to be the Leader of the Opposition and that's to provide an alternative government.” quote by Stephen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07e/stephen-harper-3432_forget_first-of-all-i-can-t-forget-my-first-res_3042312.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07e/stephen-harper-3432_forget_first-of-all-i-can-t-forget-my-first-res_3042312.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07e/stephen-harper-3432_forget_first-of-all-i-can-t-forget-my-first-res_3042312.png) > “First of all, I can't forget my first responsibility - which is to be the Leader of the Opposition and that's to provide an alternative government.” [Stephen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-harper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The opposition must provide an alternative government as its primary duty. **In simple terms:** Opposition’s main role is to offer alternatives. Key Takeaway Develop clear policy alternatives. Themes politics leadership responsibility Mood formal strategic Type political policy When to use this quote - election campaigns - policy debates - public accountability Key Concepts governance democracy Questions to Reflect On - How can opposition stay effective? - What alternatives are most needed? A Different Perspective Opposition may lack resources to present full alternatives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alternative Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alternative-government-5021695/) [Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leader Opposition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader-opposition-371524/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Opposition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposition/) [Opposition Provide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposition-provide-5021696/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) ## Related quotes > [The Leader of the Opposition's constitutional obligation - the obligation to Parliament - it's the reason we did the merger! - is to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-harper/the-leader-of-the-opposition-s-constitutional-obligation-the/) [Stephen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-harper/) > [Australians can trust me to get the job done. They can have the confidence that in the heart of the circumstances I will win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-gillard/australians-can-trust-me-to-get-the-job-done-they-can-have-the/) [Julia Gillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-gillard/) > [A neighbor is a far better and cheaper alternative to government services.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/a-neighbor-is-a-far-better-and-cheaper-alternative-to-government/) [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) > [Lord Cranborne told the leader of the opposition to 'back me or sack me' - he succeeded in doing both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/lord-cranborne-told-the-leader-of-the-opposition-to-back-me-or-sack/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [I was leader of the Opposition when Vajpayee was PM. 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Smashing heads does not open minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/in-dialogue-there-is-opposition-yes-but-no-head-on-collision-smashing/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [Getting on the cover of TIME guarantees the existence of opposition in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/getting-on-the-cover-of-time-guarantees-the-existence-of-opposition/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) ## More by Stephen Harper > [We're always willing to look at ways NAFTA can work better. But it's a fine line between looking at ways to make it work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-harper/we-re-always-willing-to-look-at-ways-nafta-can-work-better-but-it-s-a/) [Stephen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-harper/) > [In terms of the unemployed, of which we have over a million-and-a-half, don't feel particularly bad for many of these people. They don't feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-harper/in-terms-of-the-unemployed-of-which-we-have-over-a-million-and-a-half/) [Stephen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-harper/) > [The media is tremendously important for all governments that are able to communicate through the it. 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We've had more jobs created now than were lost during the recession. We're seeing that the creation, we're seeing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-harper/the-job-numbers-are-positive-we-ve-had-more-jobs-created-now-than/) [Stephen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-harper/) > [After all, enforced national bilingualism in this country isn't mere policy. It has attained the status of a religion. It's a dogma which one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-harper/after-all-enforced-national-bilingualism-in-this-country-isn-t-mere/) [Stephen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-harper/) > [We've got to see a state where the Afghan government can handle its own day-to-day security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-harper/we-ve-got-to-see-a-state-where-the-afghan-government-can-handle-its/) [Stephen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-harper/) > [It is imperative to take the initiative, to build firewalls around Alberta, to limit the extent to which an aggressive and hostile federal government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-harper/it-is-imperative-to-take-the-initiative-to-build-firewalls-around/) [Stephen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-harper/) > [Whether Canada ends up with one national government or two governments or 10 governments, the Canadian people will require less government no matter what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-harper/whether-canada-ends-up-with-one-national-government-or-two/) [Stephen Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-harper/) [Explore all 131 Stephen Harper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-harper/) ## More Forget quotes > [I Never met her,i never talked to her,but in my whole day I am either thinking about her or trying to forget her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subhananda/i-never-met-her-i-never-talked-to-her-but-in-my-whole-day-i-am-either/) [Subhananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subhananda/) > [What people tend to forget is the journey that I had getting to Formula One. There were plenty of years where I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/what-people-tend-to-forget-is-the-journey-that-i-had-getting-to/) [Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/) > [Once upon a time. Ah forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/once-upon-a-time-ah-forget-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forget the credit, they (male actors) take all the money as well. We don't get paid even one-third of what male actors get. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangana-ranaut/forget-the-credit-they-male-actors-take-all-the-money-as-well-we-don/) [Kangana Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangana-ranaut/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/your-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-doesn-t-it-simply-files-things/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Which people take the time to care for their souls, these days? I reckon not many. But...hear this: I think that maybe in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-fletcher/which-people-take-the-time-to-care-for-their-souls-these-days-i/) [Susan Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-fletcher/) > [The problem with people is they forget that most of the time it's the small things that count.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/the-problem-with-people-is-they-forget-that-most-of-the-time-it-s-the/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [Remind a man of what he remembers, and you will make him forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/remind-a-man-of-what-he-remembers-and-you-will-make-him-forget-it/) [Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/) > [“So you try, and try, to move past it and forget about them, but it's like they're stuck in your head -- you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mcdonald/so-you-try-and-try-to-move-past-it-and-forget-about-them-but-it-s/) [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [People are disturbed not by things but by the view they take of them. They may forget what you said, but they will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [I don't think people will ever forget I was an 'Angel,' anymore than they'll forget Sally Field was 'The Flying Nun.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-ladd/i-don-t-think-people-will-ever-forget-i-was-an-angel-anymore-than/) [Cheryl Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-ladd/) > [If God knows me I will never forget him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trunxbeats/if-god-knows-me-i-will-never-forget-him/) [Trunxbeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trunxbeats/) > [Our memory is a monster; you forget it - it does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/our-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-it-does-not/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) [Browse all 11,315 Forget quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "First of all, I can't forget my first responsibility - which is to be the Leader of the Opposition and that's to provide an alternative government.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Harper" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-harper/first-of-all-i-can-t-forget-my-first-responsibility-which-is-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Forget" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-harper/first-of-all-i-can-t-forget-my-first-responsibility-which-is-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07e/stephen-harper-3432_forget_first-of-all-i-can-t-forget-my-first-res_3042312.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07e/stephen-harper-3432_forget_first-of-all-i-can-t-forget-my-first-res_3042312.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07e/stephen-harper-3432_forget_first-of-all-i-can-t-forget-my-first-res_3042312.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“First of all, I can't forget my first responsibility - which is to be the Leader of the Opposition and…” — Stephen Harper", "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": "Stephen Harper", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-harper/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "First of all, I can't forget...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-harper/first-of-all-i-can-t-forget-my-first-responsibility-which-is-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-harper/first-of-all-i-can-t-forget-my-first-responsibility-which-is-to-be/#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 } } ] } ```