New Australian PM signals Iraq pullout

Timesonline Via Drudge Report ^ | Nov 24, 2007 | Paul Ham

[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-

[abercrombie_guy_38]

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?

[RDTF]

yea I think that might be the real news here

[doc1019]

Thank you, your information helps a lot in understanding what happened in their latest election.

[Candor7]

When Red China submarines start hovering and lurking outside of the port of Sydney and doing practise runs on their shipping , to whom will the Aussie government run?

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.

[RDTF]

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

[Route66]

Sad. Very sad for Australia.

[Jemian]

Kevin Rudd needs to travel down Jalan Legian in Kuta Bali and look at that hole. He needs to read those names on the wall. He should realize that pulling his troops out will in no wise make Australians safe. Bullies only pick on weaklings.

[Brad from Tennessee]

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)

[tarheelswamprat]

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, 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...

[tarheelswamprat]

Rudd is an ostrich, a$$ high in air, head deep in sand.And that a$$ will one day be severely kicked by the strategic needs of his nation.

I like your characterization better than mine... /grin

[Shadow44]

I miss Howard and the coalition already.

[Bernard Marx]

Will the US help then?

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.

[June Cleaver]

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.

[theBuckwheat]

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.

[doc1019]

Looking for that Aussi …

[garylmoore]

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.

[King_Corey]

Wow, Aussies will have their economy in the toilet if they try to comply with Kyoto.

Nice Job!!

[Gondring]

...it’s surprising to many that they would vote in someone not as tough on terrorism

How is he soft on terrorism? I hadn't followed him, hoping he would lose.

[RDTF]

I haven’t followed him either but I’d say pulling out of Iraq before the job is done is one indication

[ZULU]

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.