Posted on 11/24/2007 8:13:19 PM PST by RDTF
AUSTRALIA’S new prime minister Kevin Rudd will mark his arrival on the international stage by announcing the withdrawal of his country’s combat troops from Iraq and signing the Kyoto treaty on climate change.
Rudd, a republican and former diplomat, swept to power as his Labor party stormed to a landslide victory in yesterday’s elections.
Official figures showed Labor had won more than 53% of the vote, compared with just under 47% for the ruling Liberal coalition of John Howard, who had served four terms as prime minister but lost his seat. Computer projections forecast that Labor would secure 86 seats in the 150-seat lower house of parliament.
Rudd, 50, who has been called a “Tone Clone” for his similarities to Tony Blair on policy, told cheering supporters that the electorate had decided to “write a new page in our nation’s history”.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
The yutes of Sydney must be happy.
I’m sure it will appease the angry Muslims in Australia.
Or, not:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22663795-601,00.html
How is 53% to 47% a “landslide victory”?
I was just wondering that myself... sure sounds like a ‘mandate’ of some kind. /sarc
Wonder how that's working for him?
Think of the Clintons and their crew taking the reins in ‘92, only even more “in-’yo’-face.”
Peter Garrett, the ex-Midnight Oil rocker is now going to be his Enviro Minister.
Be afraid, be very afraid.
Not that the Aussie troops aren’t appreciated but how many are in Iraq?
Not being a follower of Australian politics … what, exactly, was the reason for the downfall of the Howard government?
But the Diggers aren’t.
Buy more guns and keep your powder dry...
About 500, I think. Not signifigant in themselves, bur symbolically important as an indicator of Australian alliance.
I weep for Australia.
After a decade or so of flirting with every PC / liberal idea that the left could think of, they were back on the track to being the small yet great nation of rugged individualists with common sense and courage.
And now they are back to being sheep instead of raising them.
that just made me think of Mike and the Mechanics
Sounds like we would have been better off if Howard himself had pulled the troops. At least he could have pulled them and said that they were no longer needed in Iraq.
Good luck on that Kyoto thing.
i guess this is news. it’s certainly not a surprise.
Rudd plans to bring home most Australian troops from Iraq and Afghanistan
And what about that major Australian export: coal??
HA!
For starters, Howard was in power for 11 years, the second longest serving PM in Aussie history. Sure, those 11 years were all-around great for the country but people get worn out with the same leader. He was also criticized for sending troops to Iraq and saying he would retire less than 2 years after this election. People viewed the comment as “arrogant.”
Above all, I think, working Aussies hated the new “Work Choices” labor laws he tried his hardest to put in place. I have no clue what changes were made (I’m not Australian, nor do I live there, just have an interest in the country) and trying to comprehend it on Wikipedia or other sites is next to impossible. He even admitted Work Choices is what hurt him the most.
A great leader and statesman has defintely been lost. I hope he’ll continue somehow or another. Maybe running for office in the US?
yea I think that might be the real news here
Thank you, your information helps a lot in understanding what happened in their latest election.
Rudd is an ostrich, a$$ high in air, head deep in sand.And that a$$ will one day be severly kicked by the strategic needs of his nation.
Will the US help then?
Doubtful. We will be bitterly remembering how only Americaans alone completed the job in Iraq. Rudd is so short sighted, he has collapsed eye balls.
after the Bali bombing the Australians felt a kinship to the US, and it’s surprising to many that they would vote in someone not as tough on terrorism
CIA WORLD FACTBOOK, AUSTRALIA:
Exports commodities: Coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment
Exports partners: Japan 19.6%, China 12.3%, South Korea 7.5%, US 6.2%, India 5.5%, NZ 5.5%, UK 5% (2006)
And, there are a lot of faces smiling in anticipation in Jakarta, Indonesia today...
I fear our friends Down Under are about to get some fresh lessons in the Law of Unintended Consequences...
I like your characterization better than mine... /grin
I miss Howard and the coalition already.
Of course we will, both because we have a long-standing alliance with the Aussies however wrong-headed any particular government may be; and because Oz is of critical strategic importance in the coming clash over control of the Pacific. We're seeing pretty much the same scenario starting to be played out with the Chinese as happened with the Japanese.
The Japanese Greater Economic Co-Prosperity Sphere (did I remember the name right?) envisioned control of all the resources from Japan south to Oz. China has much the same ambition and is building the blue water fleet to implement it. We won't sit still and let that happen. Neither will Australia when their wake-up call comes.
It had nothing to do with Iraq. It was all about Labor relations and laws. An Aussi will have to fill us in on the particulars.
At this observation post, we are putting Australia on Dhimmi-Watch. The mob who voted will be getting the government they asked for. May the price not be too high before sanity returns.
Looking for that Aussi …
Kevin Rudd will mark his arrival on the international stage by announcing the withdrawal of his country’s combat troops from Iraq and signing the Kyoto treaty on climate change.
What an honorable thing to do as your first act Mr. Rudd, I pray that you have a short lived reign.
Wow, Aussies will have their economy in the toilet if they try to comply with Kyoto.
Nice Job!!
How is he soft on terrorism? I hadn't followed him, hoping he would lose.
I haven’t followed him either but I’d say pulling out of Iraq before the job is done is one indication
Its ALWAYS a “Landslide” victory when libs beat conservatives, anbd a “marginal” victory the other way around.
Still, its unsettling to see how stupid 53% of the Austrailian voting public apparently is. But then we have to reserve judgement on our own electorate until 2008.
The problem with unrestrained democracy and government give-aways is that eventually the electorate begins to think that governmnet money grows on trees instead of in their wallets and allow themselves to be seduced by socialist phoneys.
Indeed...Australia holds national elections every 3 years or less so your wish may come true.
Just gross.
Remember that line attributed to de Tocqueville... "The American Republic will endure, until politicians realize they can bribe the people with their own money."
The people who buy and use the coal are the ones who will be penalized, not Australia.
Back to French wines...
The thing is, Rudd isn’t pulling out of Iraq - at least, he isn’t as long as he doesn’t change his policy once elected.
We have about 1500 troops in theatre. He intends to pull about 500 of them out, leaving 1000 or so in.
He has spun this for the anti-war crowd in Australia to win their votes. I think a lot of them are going to be disappointed, when they find out what he’s actually doing.
And he’s probably going to do it fairly gradually - in actual fact, at about the same speed, the Howard government would have done it. As the situation in Iraq improved, they would have brought these troops home too.
The difference with Rudd is that he’d do it regardless of whether conditions had improved or not. And that is a big difference in theory - but if conditions have improved, it’s not much different in practice.
This also probably indicates a new softer attitude about the Muslims and their radical elements that are invading Australia.
Up to now, Australia has been a relatively reliable partner with the US in containing Islamic militant extremism. But now, with no adults in charge any longer, this tendency to surrender to perceived threats shall be greatly enhanced.
Run away from the war. But it will only follow you home.
“and allow themselves to be seduced by socialist phoneys.”
Yep, it’s a threat here as well...lately I’ve been hearing an AMA radio ad about medical insurance that ends with “keep this issue in mind in the voting booth” or something similar. Socialized medicine, what a GREAT idea! :-P
I sure hope Americans take the time to really think about this next election. It’ll be as pivotal as any in the history of the country, IMO.
Like taking your finger out of a glass of water.
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