Ally of Bush Is Defeated in Australia

[Richard]

By TIM JOHNSTON

SYDNEY, Australia, Nov. 24 — Australia’s prime minister, John Howard, one of President Bush’s staunchest allies in Asia, suffered a comprehensive defeat at the hands of the electorate on Saturday, as his Liberal Party-led coalition lost its majority in Parliament.

He will be replaced by Kevin Rudd, the Labor Party leader and a former diplomat. “Today Australia looks to the future,” Mr. Rudd told a cheering crowd in his home state, Queensland. “Today the Australian people have decided that we as a nation will move forward.”

Mr. Howard’s defeat, after 11 years in power, follows that of José María Aznar of Spain, who also backed the United States-led invasion of Iraq, and political setbacks for Tony Blair, who stepped down as Britain’s prime minister in June.

Mr. Howard conceded nearly two hours after the last polling booths closed in the west of the country.

“A few moments ago I telephoned Mr. Kevin Rudd and I congratulated him and the Australian Labor Party on a very emphatic victory,” Mr. Howard told a room of emotional supporters.

“I leave the office of prime minister with our country prouder, stronger and more prosperous than ever,” he said.

Returns for a small number of seats are yet to be compiled, but analysts estimate that over all the Labor Party gained 28 seats to win a comfortable 22-seat majority in the 150-seat lower house of Parliament, where governments are formed. Official results are expected within the next day or two.

Mr. Howard may suffer the indignity of losing his own seat, representing a district on Sydney’s north shore, which he has held for 33 years, to a former television anchor and rookie politician. He would be the first sitting prime minister to lose his seat since 1929.

It was a bruising campaign, and the Liberal Party has said it will challenge some results on the grounds that the Labor candidates had broken electoral law by failing to resign from government jobs before running for office. The Labor Party said it had broken no laws.

Mr. Rudd, 50, campaigned on a platform of new leadership to address broad concerns about the environment, health and education. He has said his first acts as prime minister would include pushing for the ratification of the Kyoto agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and negotiating the withdrawal of Australia’s 500 troops from Iraq.

Analysts said the leadership change was unlikely to bring a radically new foreign policy, although they expected a shift in emphasis in the relationship with the United States, Australia’s closest ally. “Australia will remain a close ally of the United States, and Rudd remains committed to the alliance,” said Michael Fullilove, of the Lowy Institute for International Policy in Sydney. But he noted that “if there is a Democratic administration elected next year, to some extent they would become closer.”

Mr. Howard has a strong personal relationship with Mr. Bush that is based on a similar socially conservative philosophy and a shared outlook on terrorism.

Australian opinion polls have shown that although Australians remain strong supporters of the so-called Anzus alliance — the security pact among Australia, New Zealand and the United States — they do not approve of Mr. Bush or the Iraq war.

The attempts by Mr. Howard’s coalition to stress its economic record apparently failed to impress voters. The Australian economy has had 17 years of continuous growth, lately driven by Chinese demand for Australian iron ore and coal. Mr. Howard had warned voters that a Labor victory would endanger the country’s prosperity.

Despite the coalition campaign, there was little distance between the parties on economic policy, and the defining characteristics came down to the personalities of the leaders. Mr. Howard was running for a fifth term, and many voters said they were ready for a change.

“Howard is out of touch,” said George Varvaressos, 52, who voted in eastern Sydney on Saturday morning. “It’s the arrogance of being in power for too long — he hasn’t been listening.”

If Australia’s strongest military and political alliance is with Washington, the fuel for its economy is coming from China. Mr. Fullilove says Mr. Rudd’s ability to manage the relationship among Canberra, Washington and Beijing will be crucial.

Mr. Rudd, 18 years younger than Mr. Howard, has a reputation as a cerebral student of policy, as opposed to the Liberal leader’s image of a hardened and aggressive political animal.

“He seems more personable, approachable. He doesn’t seem arrogant — yet — and I have respect for him,” said Marcelle Freiman, who voted for Mr. Rudd in eastern Sydney on Saturday.

Mr. Rudd’s dry image was altered by the news that he had visited a strip club during a trip to New York in 2003.

He was a diplomat in Beijing and speaks Mandarin. He impressed many with a fluent address to President Hu Jintao of China when Mr. Hu visited Australia in September.

Mr. Fullilove said Mr. Rudd’s experience regarding China was unlikely to make a significant difference to Australia’s relationship with the United States. “I would counsel against people assuming that because Kevin Rudd speaks Mandarin there would be a big rebalancing of the relationship in favor of Beijing,” he said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/world/asia/25australia.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

[AndrewX]

Ally of Bush Howard was, and Kevin Rudd was adamant that he would not follow Howard's lead in allying for the States in War... till he got the support of the people.lolol

During the recent APEC meeting though, that all changed.  Surprising how it wasn't publicized too much isn't it (lol) but Rudd was called into a meeting with Bush and after the meeting Rudd clearly stated to media (once only and very briefly) that after meeting with Bush there was no reason why a labour Government should NOT assist and align themselves with the USA's war policy.  And it was NEVER mentioned or shown again.

So anyone thinking that Bush has lost his Australian ally best thinks again.  Just wait till time passes and the truth is unveiled as to Rudd's alignment in this issue.

Let's face it Rick, to think that they would EVER allow anyone to supposedly govern Australia who is NOT fully aligned with the US government is the kind of thing fairytales are made of mate.  They simply wouldn't let him get anywhere near the polls, let alone them decided to pretend he was elected when in fact they simply placed him.

One other thing I have noticed with all Labour governments in years gone by... is they let them win the election (they place them IOW) when they are about to unleash something shocking on the economy.  Look at the Keating government... he was the one they placed to explain to the public that we were about to enter a recession that we simply had to have.  It turned out to be the worst in our history.  All compliments of the floated dollar which saw the Ozz dollar devaluate almost 50% overnight.  With GoughWhitlam they tried the same, but it backfired on them because once he gained power he'd tell them to go and jump and he'd do what was best for the people; he was the only political gem I have ever seen in a Sea of stone chips Rick.  He was the real deal.  By far the greatest Prime Minister Australia has ever seen, they set him up claiming all small businesses were going to the wall and that he produced an all time high inflation rate.  So they brought in the Queen's homosexual Governor General at the time, Kerr, and in cahoots with those who really run the land (who placed Whitlam in the position to begin with) committed one of the all time greatest political swindles of claiming that the government of Australia could be sacked by him, and was.  It has since been realized that this cannot happen and all they needed to do at the time to overthrow this bluff was to have an order signed and passed in the Supreme Court which would have completely nullified Kerr's bluff.  So IOW, Whitlam was sacked on a joke.  This is the kind of arseholes we are dealing with in the Westminster system.  They play politics as though it were a poker game, at the cost of the people's well being.  Because the truth was that at the time, the workers and lower and middle class of Australia had more work and more money and more privileges than they ever did before or after the Whitlam government.  Jobs were available by the dozen per person.  People were able to buy a home and have it totally paid off in less than 10 years.  All education was FREE including university degrees to anyone who wished to do them.  Every citizen had free hospital and medical cover.  The times were of the MOST prosperous Australia had ever experienced in its entire history... and he was going for MORE.  Refusing to float the dollar, refusing to sell Uranium and lots more, he became a seeming law onto himself that was robbing from the rich (business) and giving to the poor (the people).  A true Robin Hood if ever there was one.  It was during the reign of Whitlam that they created the saying of Australia being ‘the land of plenty’.  Not before or after, but during Whitlam’s reign did that saying firstly emerge… and with damn good reason.  So was it any surprise the Queen bust a nut trying to get him out before he could implement MORE privileges and benefits for the people who all dearly loved him?

Mate, I will tell you this and I have not doubt whatsoever about it.  No1 - Australia never did and never will again have a leader the like of Gough Whitlam the GREAT.  No2 - Had they NOT succeeded in ousting him by bluff when they did, then we would have CERTAINLY experienced the 1st assassination of an Australia's Prime Minister... THAT you can take to the bank.

So I can also tell you Rick that when it comes to comparing Rudd with Whitlam, it best one not even make the effort.  No contest mate.  Rudd is like the rest of them.  He'll do as he's told and that's it.  Whitlam would have told them all to go and jump and stuck by it to the bitter end while all along he'd have gone and done what was best for the common man.  He was priceless I tell you Rick.



A greater and more beautiful leader and 'gent of a man' you could never wish to meet Rick believe me.  He has been and shall always be bitterly missed.

I felt like I lost a father more than a prime minister at the time it all happened... no joke, and I was young.  It left a sour taste on most peoples mouths and one which will never be forgotten by those who experianced it.  He was our JFK mate... everyone remembers where they were when they first heard of his sacking, and everyone was stunned cold by it.  The only ones you will hear saying anything bad about Whitlam are the facsists... the capitalists, the wankers IOW, no one else, and who cares WTF they they think anyway they're all 50cent millionaires when it comes to the crunch, history has proven that.

He was the greatest Rick, and had you been living here at the time I assure you that the whole saga would have gutted you too mate.
 
I'm still pissed it happened mate and it's something I will no doubt take with me to the grave... as millions of others have and will.

http://www.gavmag.com/austpm/pm_whitlam.htm

...and do you know what the date was when they ousted him??

11th of November 1975:discust:
 
Now let us all guess who would have been behind that...

I should add that now they have declared a Labour Prime Minister for Australia; I see a bad moon rising... as if things weren't already bad enough.:frown:

[Astrojewels]

Is it a coincidence that john Howard was in politics for 33 years, was prime minister for 11, which is also the length of time that Pluto has been in Sagittarius, he led during this entire cycle, he is a Leo; a fire sign.
Kevin Rudd wins and we are about to enter the new cycle of Pluto in Capricorn, he is a Virgo, both signs are earth. He is not George’s best friend like Johnny, but he will be the collaborator of the new leader when it is the United States turn to change leaders at the next election.
I have mentioned more than once that Kevin 07 would take the lead in a big way, if you watched carefully; you would have seen each stage of his programming, each time he had been uploaded with a new layering of leadership skills. His famous green tie and his body language showed he had been chosen for the ‘top job’, it is like telling someone a surprise but they can not tell, the body can not lie.
Australians should be weary of his wife and not him; she is the connection!
I have to disagree Andrew X, I feel the change will do more good than harm, this cycle of Pluto will bring changes that may seem harsh, yet long term will be for the better.
Johnny was a hypocrite, he made it hard for people to migrate here, people that seek a better life, but at the same time allowing thousands of refugees in, he pays teens to have babies and made vaccinations a part of work place reform. He has taken many rights from the common worker.
I actually know a person who works as a laborer, and had to sign the workplace agreement and part of that was to have 3 different vaccinations during the first year, then was expected to do 25 hours of overtime for the same rate of pay, he has a young family and refused, he had the first vaccination and refused any more, so they sacked him for reasons other than the truth. They have made him look like a bad employee and he is a hard worker who just wants the best for his family.

[AndrewX]

I hope you're right about Kevin being a good thing Karen.  I know he is a BETTER alternative to Howard or Liberalism, but I can't help but feeling they've put in another Labor man because they're getting ready to unleash something nasty on us all so they can then turn around and tell everyone that the only way to fix it is to once again have a Liberal government, thereby assuring another 10-20 term for them... same as it ever was.  I'm just reiterating what's happened with past Labor goverement's.  They indite them and never tell you what it is they're wanting to do with them till it's done, and it's always an issue that is NEVER raised and has had very little attention prior to the elections. 

As for Howard's workplace agreemenets, he should hauled before an international court and charged with treason against his own people and crimes against humanity.  If it were up  to me Karen, I'd place him into a jail cell and leave him there for the rest of his days as he deserves no better. 

You should mention which company did the dirty you mentioned to your friend.  We as people should know who these arseholes are.  If people knew who these criminals were, perhaps they wouldn't excercise such injustices after a while as a result of what members of the public would do to them?  Perhaps after a while they'd think twice about enslaving and thieving from other employees considering their enjoyment of life maybe greatly impacted by strangers they cannot even report to Police as they don't even know who the hell they are?   I feel sorry for your friend and hope he can find another employee who is more humane than the one he had.

[Astrojewels]

Andrew X,
I do not know the name of the company, he already has another job so he is good. I agree that you can not trust the government and all that are elected have some agenda, and labor usually comes in power gets us all into debt and yadda yadda. I have to tell you that I do have concerns about who was selected as the opposition leader, Brendan Nelson has energy like a reptilian, just like a shape shifting politician in the north, I have a feeling that he is not a puppet like the rest of our political leaders, he is more connected than anyone we have had here in OZ.

The only thing I would like to see Rudd do is change the education system, it is ridiculous how these kids are in thousands of dollars of debt when they begin to work, I do not believe it should be free either because you will get a whole lot of kids going to uni just to do it. I also want to see some changes in the way we treat the environment, which I believe will happen.