Australia Dumps Howard

[jillian]

Looks like Bush-Lite, Little Johnny Howard got his butt kicked. Guess the Aussie's had enough. Might be only the second sitting PM EVER to lose his seat. Wow!

Kevin Rudd has won a historic landslide victory after a national swing of 5.7% gave Labor a likely majority of 25 seats.
With 53.9% of voters propelling Labor into government, Mr Rudd can claim an even greater victory than that of Bob Hawke, who took the prime ministership in 1983 with 53.2% of the vote.

He is only the third Labor leader in 60 years to win government from Opposition.

However, with Queensland an hour behind the south-eastern states because it does not have daylight saving, Mr Rudd was not expected to formally claim victory until late last night.

Liberal leader John Howard's ignominious defeat was compounded by the likely loss of his seat of Bennelong, which looked set to fall last night to Labor's star recruit, for mer ABC journalist Maxine McKew, with a swing of almost 5%.

However, Ms McKew declared the result too close to call.

"At this stage, Ben nelong is still on a knife-edge. Bennelong is still too close to call," she said. "But what a wonderful campaign this has been. A wonderful night for Labor, a fabulous, and I hope transforming, moment for the country."

If Mr Howard loses Bennelong, he will suffer the humiliation of becom ing only the second sitting prime minister in history to lose his seat. But with a large number of postal votes set to favour Mr Howard, strategists on both sides agreed Ben nelong remained too close to call.

http://www.theage.com.au/

http://www.theage.com.au/news/feder...to-historic-win/2007/11/24/1195753376406.html

 

[RetiredGySgt]

And when in 96 the sitting Speaker of the House lost his seat, were you making the same jumps for joy? Ohh wait, no you were not because he was a liberal Democrat.

I would say it is a good thing that he lost his position, since that was the will of the electorate. As for what it means? Very little, read the article, the only change will be 550 combat troops will be pulled out of Iraq, all the support and training troops will in fact remain.

There will be no major International change at all, except that Australia will get to be like Europe and sign a treaty they have no intention of abiding by. A treaty that if strictly followed would have almost zero effect on the dire predictions made when it was created. To remind you, .7 percent reduction in 100 years , that is right, less than 1 percent change. And the treaty does not even include the up and coming environmental pollutors at all.

 

[Dr Grump]

Blair gone. Howard gone. Bush about to go. Finally some good news with Democracy...

 

[DeadCanDance]

Howard's Reign in Australia Is Over

By ROHAN SULLIVAN Associated Press Writer

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) — Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd swept to power in Australian elections Saturday, ending an 11-year conservative era and promising major changes to policies on global warming and his country's role in the Iraq war.

"Today Australia has looked to the future," Rudd said in a nationally televised victory speech, to wild cheers from supporters. "Today the Australian people have decided that we as a nation will move forward ... to embrace the future, together to write a new page in our nation's history."

The win marked a humiliating end to the career of outgoing Prime Minister John Howard, who became Australia's second-longest serving leader — and who had appeared almost unassailable as little as a year ago.



In other news

Polands new government announces it will withdraw its troops from Iraq in 2008.

 

[Gunny]

Howard's Reign in Australia Is Over

By ROHAN SULLIVAN Associated Press Writer

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) — Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd swept to power in Australian elections Saturday, ending an 11-year conservative era and promising major changes to policies on global warming and his country's role in the Iraq war.

"Today Australia has looked to the future," Rudd said in a nationally televised victory speech, to wild cheers from supporters. "Today the Australian people have decided that we as a nation will move forward ... to embrace the future, together to write a new page in our nation's history."

The win marked a humiliating end to the career of outgoing Prime Minister John Howard, who became Australia's second-longest serving leader — and who had appeared almost unassailable as little as a year ago.



In other news

Polands new government announces it will withdraw its troops from Iraq in 2008.

So the only point to this thread is the fact that it doesn't matter that appeasing pussies are being elected just so long as you think they won't support Bush.

You're such a blind, partisan sheep.

So what's the big policy change on Global Warming going to be, huh? Does this mean Australia is going to agree to "do something" about something no has yet identified the true cause of? Yippee-ki-yi-ya, M-F-er.

 

[jillian]

So the only point to this thread is the fact that it doesn't matter that appeasing pussies are being elected just so long as you think they won't support Bush.

You're such a blind, partisan sheep.

So what's the big policy change on Global Warming going to be, huh? Does this mean Australia is going to agree to "do something" about something no has yet identified the true cause of? Yippee-ki-yi-ya, M-F-er.

Actually, it was *my* thread, GL.

If you recall, when Sarkozy was elected in France, the neo-cons were busy chest-thumping about how it was vindication for Baby Bush and his policies. By the same token, can't we view Australia's total and complete rejection of Johnny Howard and his policies as a rejection of his efforts to become Bush-Lite?

That isn't being a sheeple, that's a realistic assessment of the political climate in Oz.

 

[Toro]

Why is anyone surprised? If the war in Iraq and Bush is highly unpopular in this country, why wouldn't it also be elsewhere? Plus, Australia is seeing their housing bubble pop, just like America. Tack onto the fact that Howard had been PM for 12 years, which is very long in any democracy. It would have been shocking had Howard won, especially when you consider that apart from Iraq and GW, the two candidates pretty much agreed on everything else.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Why is anyone surprised? If the war in Iraq and Bush is highly unpopular in this country, why wouldn't it also be elsewhere? Plus, Australia is seeing their housing bubble pop, just like America. Tack onto the fact that Howard had been PM for 12 years, which is very long in any democracy. It would have been shocking had Howard won, especially when you consider that apart from Iraq and GW, the two candidates pretty much agreed on everything else.

Yup, No real change is going to occur EXCEPT domestically maybe. But go ahead live it up, but just remember when you spout off about Howard losing his seat I can point out the same thing happened in 96 to the Democrats speaker of the House. Not only did he lose his Speaker job, his district voted him OUT of office. Only has happened to a sitting Speaker a couple times in our history too. And he wasn't speaker for 12 years.

 

[jillian]

Why is anyone surprised? If the war in Iraq and Bush is highly unpopular in this country, why wouldn't it also be elsewhere? Plus, Australia is seeing their housing bubble pop, just like America. Tack onto the fact that Howard had been PM for 12 years, which is very long in any democracy. It would have been shocking had Howard won, especially when you consider that apart from Iraq and GW, the two candidates pretty much agreed on everything else.

Iraq was certainly a factor. Howard was also starting to do the same type of thing in Australia that Bush did here in terms of weaking their liberties and increasing government's ability to spy on its citizens. Howard's approval ratings toward the end approximated Bush's. So he got spanked.

 

[trobinett]

You guy's(and gal's)................

 

[Chips Rafferty]

Yup, No real change is going to occur EXCEPT domestically maybe. But go ahead live it up, but just remember when you spout off about Howard losing his seat I can point out the same thing happened in 96 to the Democrats speaker of the House. Not only did he lose his Speaker job, his district voted him OUT of office. Only has happened to a sitting Speaker a couple times in our history too. And he wasn't speaker for 12 years.

You're forgetting that the philosophy and policies of our Labor Party have always been seen as positively communist by both of the popular Partei's in WASPington.

....and that Kevin Rudd speaks fluent Chinese and his daughter is married to an evil Chinese!

How is THAT for suspicious enough for the U.S to overthrow our democratically elected government - again?!!

 

[midcan5]

The fundamental flaw in conservatism is that it wants to control but doesn't understand nor agree with the principles used to govern a democracy - that is a politics of compromise. Hard liners always lose in the end even though they appeal to the lemmings for a while.

 

[Diuretic]

Why is anyone surprised? If the war in Iraq and Bush is highly unpopular in this country, why wouldn't it also be elsewhere? Plus, Australia is seeing their housing bubble pop, just like America. Tack onto the fact that Howard had been PM for 12 years, which is very long in any democracy. It would have been shocking had Howard won, especially when you consider that apart from Iraq and GW, the two candidates pretty much agreed on everything else.

I think the big issue that sealed Howard's fate was Work Choices, his industrial (labor) relations policy we named Serf Choices.

I am happy to see his govt gone.

 

[onedomino]

I think the big issue that sealed Howard's fate was Work Choices, his industrial (labor) relations policy we named Serf Choices.

I am happy to see his govt gone.

After 11 horrible years of strong economic growth (about 3.3 percent per year), low inflation (less than 2.5 percent per year), and low unemployment (about 5 percent), maybe now Australians will get the government they deserve.

 

[Diuretic]

After 11 horrible years of strong economic growth (about 3.3 percent per year), low inflation (less than 2.5 percent per year), and low unemployment (about 5 percent), maybe now Australians will get the government they deserve.

And we're damn pleased about it too. Now perhaps we'll get an education system that works properly; our health system will get proper funding; our industrial relations laws will become fair and reasonable again. The truth is that the Howard government had nothing to do with strong economic growth - the foundation was built by the Hawke government in 1983 and the Keating government later, Howard merely enjoyed the benefits of difficult, but necessary reform. Inflation has been kept under control because of the Hawke and Keating governments' reforms, inflation is now poised to increase due to capacity constraints because the Howard government didn't forsee, or didn't bother with, those capacity constraints, such as the shortage of skilled labour and major infrastructure problems. Our manufacturing industries have all but died under Howard. Our economy at the moment consists simply of digging it up and selling it to China and India. That will come to an end and Rudd and Labor know it which is why they're preparing themselves to rebuild our damaged economy, yes, it is damaged. If it weren't for China and India, fair dinkum, we'd be knackered.

Don't underestimate how much Howard was loathed. He is a liar and we know that. The electorate was conned by him but they woke up to him when Rudd became Leader of the Opposition and presented himself as a potential PM. Costello, Howard's treasurer, was hated by the electorate, he has now spat the dummy and is quitting and damn good riddance. The Liberals are now imploding. That's not good because good government needs good opposition. The Senate is under coalition control until June 2008, if they unreasonable obstruct the government's legislative agenda then that won't go down well with the electorate. We're hungry for reform, for constructive change, we want to put behind us the divisive years of Howard and his unabashed racism and populism. I'm damn glad he's gone and if he loses his seat in parliament then he has no-one but himself to blame, he is the author of his own misfortune.

In Australia the feeling is of relief, of having come through a period of darkness and of entering the sunlight again. We're getting our country back, we're become Australia again and not some pale imitation of America which is where Howard was taking us. Our values are not your country's values and that's not to be critical, merely pointing out the differences. We don't see "losers", we see "battlers" who need a hand from a mate and we have lost that characteristic in the 11 years of Howard. The country of the fair go is back again and I am so deeply happy that it is.

 

[onedomino]

Our values are not your country's values

Fair dinkum indeed. Not once in 218 years has America ever elected a socialist President. Rudd, in 2003: "I am an old fashioned christian socialist." and regarding the free market of goods and labor: (workers will not be left on the) "dung heap of the market." Talk about populist pandering. Then in 2006 while lurching to the right and groveling for potential votes: "I am not a socialist, I have never been a socialist, and never will be a socialist." So, fair dinkum, just what is Rudd? Soon Australians will find out what Rudd's real attitude is toward the free market policy that has increased the Australian GDP more than 42 percent in the past 11 years.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20929284-421,00.html

 

[onedomino]

You're forgetting that the philosophy and policies of our Labor Party have always been seen as positively communist by both of the popular Partei's in WASPington.

....and that Kevin Rudd speaks fluent Chinese and his daughter is married to an evil Chinese!

How is THAT for suspicious enough for the U.S to overthrow our democratically elected government - again?!!

Hey diuretic, is this racist crap an example of the Left in Australia? Is this who needs a "fair go?" The stupidity of the above Chinese comments is incandescent. I speak both Mandarin and Shanghanese. Does that make me a communist? Secretary Rice speaks Russian. Does that make her a totalitarian like Putin? Rudd's non-English language ability has zero impact on what Americans think of him. And we hope is daughter is happy.

 

[jillian]

Hey diuretic, is this racist crap an example of the Left in Australia? Is this who needs a "fair go?" The stupidity of the above Chinese comments is incandescent. I speak both Mandarin and Shanghanese. Does that make me a communist? Secretary Rice speaks Russian. Does that make her a totalitarian like Putin? Rudd's non-English language ability has zero impact on what Americans think of him. And we hope is daughter is happy.

Well, you know that Chips likes venting his spleen. I wouldn't attribute his views to all Aussies any more than I would attribute, oh, WJ's or Lieberalism's views to all Americans. Countries aren't that homogeneous.

Shouldn't we just be glad that westernized countries, allies like Australia, have vigorous democracies where they can toss the bums out when they choose. ;o)

I suspect Rudd will do just fine. Each ideology brings with it positives and negatives. And given the nature of the parliament, they will have to work together if anything at all is going to be done, which in very many ways is better than the divisiveness we see in our system right now.

 

[onedomino]

Well, you know that Chips likes venting his spleen. I wouldn't attribute his views to all Aussies any more than I would attribute, oh, WJ's or Lieberalism's views to all Americans.

That would be true. I should not have addressed that post to diuretic. I was objecting to the racist sterotyping of Americans as being hostile to Chinese speakers and anyone who would marry a Chinese person.

 

[jillian]

That would be true. I should not have addressed that post to diuretic.

Fair enough. No harm, no foul.