Posted on 10/09/2004 7:46:02 AM PDT by Kaslin
SYDNEY, Australia - Prime Minister John Howard scored a convincing victory in Australia's federal election Saturday, winning a historic fourth term in a vote ensuring the staunch U.S. ally keeps its troops in Iraq (news - web sites).
With more than 70 percent of votes tallied, Howard appeared likely to increase his government's majority in parliament — exceeding most analysts' predictions that the result would be very tight.
"My fellow Australians ... I am truly humbled by this extraordinary expression of confidence in the leadership of this great nation by the coalition," Howard told cheering supporters of his conservative alliance in Sydney.
"In accepting their charge to lead the nation I rededicate myself and all of my colleagues to the service of the Australian people."
Labor Party leader Mark Latham earlier conceded defeat before supporters in western Sydney, saying he called Howard to congratulate him.
"Tonight was not our night," Latham told the crowd.
The election was widely seen abroad as the first referendum for the three leaders who launched the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, with President Bush (news - web sites) facing a ballot next month and British Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites) probably facing voters next year.
The Labor Party had vowed to bring the roughly 900 Australian troops deployed in and around Iraq home by Christmas, while Howard insisted they will stay until Iraqis ask them to leave. Australian troops have not suffered any casualties and none have combat roles.
Australians have focused more on the economy, health and education than on Howard's unpopular decision to join the Bush-led coalition in Iraq. Howard sent 2,000 troops to Iraq last year, prompting accusations he was Bush's lackey.
Latham argued that the Iraq invasion was a distraction from the international fight against terrorism, and he wanted to focus Australia's security policy closer to home in Southeast Asia.
That was a clear nod to his country's fears of attacks after the Oct. 12, 2002, bombings on Bali Island that killed 202 people, many of them Australians, and the Sept. 9 bombing of the Australian Embassy that killed nine people.
With about 77 percent of votes counted, official figures showed Howard's coalition had 52.4 percent to Labor's 47.6 percent, giving the conservatives a clear lead in the race for a majority in parliament's 150-seat lower house, where government is formed.
"I think at this stage of the evening it's going to be almost impossible for Labor to win this election," Labor Sen. Robert Ray told Channel Nine television. "We are too far behind in too many seats at this stage for victory."
The campaign also hinged on personalities, with three-term incumbent Howard, 65, seen as a colorless but reliable steward of the economy, and Latham, 43, perceived as young and energetic but also inexperienced and sometimes undisciplined.
Australian voters chose candidates for all 150 seats in the federal parliament's lower house — the House of Representatives — and 40 of the 76 seats in the Senate. A total of 1,091 candidates were standing for the House of Representatives and 330 for the Senate.
The country has 13 million registered voters.
Howard voted Saturday at a school after taking a walk around Sydney Harbor, where he asked passers-by not to use their votes to punish his conservative coalition for unpopular policies.
"It's certainly not an occasion for anyone to think they can give us a protest kick and still re-elect us — if enough people do that we'll lose," he said.
At the polls, a man in line said to the prime minister: "Mr. Howard, if you win, I'm moving to Europe."
Another woman asked him when he was going to stop lying to the Australian public. Howard ignored the man and said "thank you" to the woman.
John Atkins, 59, voting in Sydney, said he did not approve of Latham's plan to withdraw from Iraq, even though he initially opposed the Iraq deployment.
"I was very concerned when the Labor Party said it would pull out the troops by Christmas," he said. "We should never have gone in, but once we had we need to stay."
Latham shook hands with well-wishers as he entered his Sydney polling site.
"We'll be seeking the support of the Australian people, particularly for a world-class health and education system, and taking the financial pressure off families," he said.
Howard's center-right government and the opposition both focused their campaigns on pledges to improve the education and health systems, and debated which party can best run the economy and maintain a boom fueled largely by rising property prices.
Howard repeatedly warned voters a Latham government would likely drive up interest rates — a sensitive issue for millions of homeowners.
Australia's economy has grown during every year of Howard's administration has been in office. Unemployment is close to all-time lows and inflation is just 2 percent.
Latham insisted he could fund his policies and keep interest rates low and the economy growing.
Howard is in his ninth year in office and is expected to retire before serving out his full three-year term.
Had Latham won, he would have become one of the country's youngest leaders.
Put down the champagne bottle and weigh in!
Alright I try find any results late last night NOTHING
I was hoping PM Howard win against his weak minded opporant
Women and minorities most effected
positively
Congrats to all of Australia, Howard by 5 points...(followed by Karzai +11, Bush +8 and Allawi +15)
Link http://vtr.aec.gov.au/
Looks like Howard's coalition government extended its power while Labor and the Greens lost ground. Interesting development considering how one Aussy news agency I followed predicted that the Greens would increase in power.
Lesson to us here in US: Don't listen to MSM because they're RATHER influenced by the DNC.
At the polls, a man in line said to the prime minister: "Mr. Howard, if you win, I'm moving to Europe."There's hope! Maybe liberals of the world will all end up in France!
Was his name Alec Baldwin, by any chance?
Congratulations to Australia for making the right choice. But I must ask if Howard's party is conservative, how come his party is called Liberal-National? Can some Aussie Freeper or someone who knows alot about Australian politics explain. I like more information on that.
Quite a difference from how they were practically crowing about what happened in Spain--remember how when Aznar was defeated, there were no shortage of liberal reporters (are there any other kind?) and democrats given air time to state how this might bode badly for W.
Since it would be dang near difficult to spin Howard's win as a drawback to W, of course they're being quiet about it.
I imagine the Autralian liberal-national can be compared to our conservative
Actually, Howard belongs to the Liberal Party. National is a seperate party that they are colalitioned with (since they are in a multiparty parlimentary system, and since one party rarely has a majority, they join up with a 'minor party' to have control over the government [unlike here where we pretty much only have two parties due to our winner take all system, Democrats and Republicans).
As for why it is called Liberal, it is because they were named for 'classical liberalism'. Before our current bred of idiots stole the term and twisted it, classical liberalism is the belief of more freedom, period. Specifically, in terms of capitalism (the original liberals were capitalist). This is also why Japan's conservative party is also, the Liberal party (I think they call themselves Liberal Democrats).
He he he. Well mate, it's a great feeling! Clan Byron are floating on air, this morning. A Latham win would have been disastrous for us, since he intended to target areas of particular relevance to our family, like private schools and forest industries. There's so many positive aspects to this win I haven't been able to digest them all, yet. Things like the collapse of the Australian Democrats, that the Greens picked up only 2% of the voters who bailed from that party, the success of the new Christian party, Family First, that the government may have control of the Senate with the help of FF, that the Tasmanian timber workers took the lead in destroying Labor... the good news just keeps on coming. Some of the financial promises made to voters by the Howard government during the campaign were absolutely disgraceful and will now have to be paid for but as we've seen a zillion times on FR you can never have it all, can you? It's a beautiful morning, and school holidays finish today, so I'm going to take the kids fishing and reflect on what can be accomplished over the next four years now the threat of living under Labor's yoke is gone. And I am confident that you guys will be similarly celebrating in three weeks as the Dems are sent back to their ratholes with their tails between their legs. All the best mate, and thanks for thinking of us Downunder.
Slimmy's given a pretty good answer.
Basically the Liberal Party of Australia was established at the end of World War II by a merging of a number of small and large conservative parties. At the time it was formed, Australia had one of its most significant left-wing governments in power - Labor has always been socialist, but its socialism goes in waves, sometimes mild, sometimes strong. During World War II, it was fairly strong (fortunately it was also dedicated to helping to win the war, and while I don't like the man's politics, our Prime Minister of the day, John Curtin, remains one of my political heroes because he stood the test in war). But by 1944, it was clear we were going to win the war, and Labor's plans for peacetime were quite scary. They were going to turn Australia into a socialist utopia, by placing significant controls on what people were and were not allowed to do.
To oppose this, the conservative parties combined under the idea of preserving peoples fundamental freedoms - their liberties, and they adopted the name Liberal in imitation of similar parties of the 19th century.
that the Tasmanian timber workers took the lead in destroying Labor...
W might be interested in some of that timber...Wanna buy some wood??
You didn't do a Spain on us. You were unflinching in the face of terror, and we here couldn't be more proud of you. Way to go!
You guys talk like Jimmy Carter.
This is not a third world nation.
The Democrats can only steal a close election, not make an election close by voter fraud.
That is why they wait until they see how many votes they need like they did in SD and NM.
If the election is a blowout they will not the opportunity for voter fraud.
Thanks for the information, it was better to get it from right-minded thinkers than socialist encyclopedia.
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