Australia changes government; PM Howard loses seat

[icarus]

Final election results still coming in, but it is certain there will be a change in government in Australia. After 11 years in power, PM John Howard's Liberal coalition (right wing) has succumbed to Kevin Rudd's Labour Party (left wing) by a convincing margin.

Furthermore it appears that John Howard will lose his own seat in Sydney to former ABC journalist Maxine McKew, although the postal votes will probably make it uncertain until next week. Howard was the world leader most supportive and ideologically similar to US president George W. Bush.

Also noteworthy is that former Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett will be the new Minister of Environment for Australia.

[Flame Of Liberty]

Shame.

Things have been too good for Australians for a long time, so natuarally they had to pi$$ it away sometime, and they did just that now. I am not surprised though...

[Claeren]

^ Really?

From what i have read the Labour Party is interested in being fiscally responsible which for me is of fundamental importance when the left takes power.

Seems it was more the conservatives pissing away their power than it was Australians themselves pissing away prosperity... ?? Opposition parties rarely 'win' elections, ruling parties usually lose them....


Claeren.

[Stranger]

Whenever I hear about Australian Gov't I always think back to the Simpsons when they go down under and Bart gets in trouble. The one Aussie says he going to take this up with the Prime Minister. He then looks over his shoulder and yells to the Prime Minister who is drinking a beer in the nude while sitting on a tire tube on a pond.

[simonsays]

Originally Posted by Flame Of Liberty

Shame.

Things have been too good for Australians for a long time, so natuarally they had to pi$$ it away sometime, and they did just that now. I am not surprised though...

Yeah, those crazy Australians. I mean who in their right mind would vote for pulling troops out of Iraq, a pro-active environmental policy and $6billion(US) fewer campaign promises? Also, when your Prime Minister can't retain a seat that he's held for 33 years maybe it's a signal that people want something a little different.

[Flame Of Liberty]

Originally Posted by Claeren

^ Really?

From what i have read the Labour Party is interested in being fiscally responsible which for me is of fundamental importance when the left takes power.

Seems it was more the conservatives pissing away their power than it was Australians themselves pissing away prosperity... ?? Opposition parties rarely 'win' elections, ruling parties usually lose them....


Claeren.

Really.

Don't let the rhetoric fool you. Rudd's track record shows that he is everything but fiscally responsible. He opposed paying off debt, tax reform, tax relief etc. His comrades are almost all former union officials, and I am yet to see a fiscally responsible union. Rudd's red government is going to feast in a fully stocked kitchen.

Too bad that at the end, it will be someone else footing the bill.

[Claeren]

Interesting!

It wil be interesting to see how far to the centre the government moves after now having been elected.... all governments do of course but to differing degrees....



Claeren.

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by icarus

Also noteworthy is that former Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett will be the new Minister of Environment for Australia.

So no reunion tour, eh?

I hope this means one more vocal government on climate change, biodiversity and sustainable development.

Of course, the environmental activists are pissed off that he ran for the Labour party instead of the Green party.

[FlamesAddiction]

Prosperity isn't a substitute for responsible government. Canada was pretty prosperous under the Liberals for over a decade, but that didn't stop people from wanting a change.

[HOZ]

Originally Posted by Flame Of Liberty

Shame.

Things have been too good for Australians for a long time, so natuarally they had to pi$$ it away sometime, and they did just that now. I am not surprised though...

We'll see. This is no Hugo Chavez. Without a doubt he will push through a few bills that placate the Unions but after that we will be able to see which direction he'll take Australia. With China and India so close I am sure he can spend like a Liberal from Shawinnegan and not make too much of a blip.

[icarus]

Originally Posted by HOZ

Without a doubt he will push through a few bills that placate the Unions but after that we will be able to see which direction he'll take Australia.

One of the main reasons Howard was voted out was because he introduced legislation that effectively prohibited unions, so the first thing Rudd will do will be to repeal this legislation.

[Deelow]

Originally Posted by icarus

One of the main reasons Howard was voted out was because he introduced legislation that effectively prohibited unions, so the first thing Rudd will do will be to repeal this legislation.

So how far to the right is Howard? The Iraq thing obviously hurt him dearly, is he on the same ideal level as Harper?

[Claeren]

Sometimes i wonder how far right Harper is...

Despite alarmism from outside Alberta, does he REALLY seem that far right? He has a lot of friends that are on the far right for sure, but i get the impression he is leader precisely because more moderate conservatives could live with him v. those further to the right.


I got the impression that Howard was the most ideologically similar leader to Bush in the industrialized world.... ?


Claeren.

[Flame Of Liberty]

Originally Posted by simonsays

Yeah, those crazy Australians. I mean who in their right mind would vote for pulling troops out of Iraq, a pro-active environmental policy and $6billion(US) fewer campaign promises? Also, when your Prime Minister can't retain a seat that he's held for 33 years maybe it's a signal that people want something a little different.

Well I am against pulling troops out of Iraq, I am against going enviro-crazy just to make greenies happy and I am not too sure what you mean by fewer campaign promises? Labor is promising less than Liberals? Huh?

Last but not least, I have never understood wanting a change for the sake of a change...Australians again showed that they are pretty spoiled nation and tried to fix something that wasnt broken...by breaking it into pieces.

My 2 cents.

[icarus]

Originally Posted by Claeren

I got the impression that Howard was the most ideologically similar leader to Bush in the industrialized world.... ?

Yeah, that's about right. Howard and Bush are bosom buddies.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Claeren

Sometimes i wonder how far right Harper is...

Despite alarmism from outside Alberta, does he REALLY seem that far right? He has a lot of friends that are on the far right for sure, but i get the impression he is leader precisely because more moderate conservatives could live with him v. those further to the right.


I got the impression that Howard was the most ideologically similar leader to Bush in the industrialized world.... ?


Claeren.

I'm doing some thesis work with Dr. Tom Flanagan, who has been one of Harper's closest advisors since his decision to pursue the Conservative leadership. Certainly, I am sure that they are very close in agreement about conservative ideology.

Flanagan is pretty right-wing, but he has also come to view the necessity of democracy in Canada. Most people are moderate, or the sum of the electorate is at least moderate. I think Harper has decided which conservative ideals he will fight for and which he is willing to let go in the name of good governance.

[gpomp]

Deleted By Mod

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by Flame Of Liberty

Shame.

Things have been too good for Australians for a long time, so naturally they had to pi$$ it away sometime, and they did just that now. I am not surprised though...

Lol, Howard's foreign policy caught him more than anything and I can't disagree with that.

Add to the fact that he has been more conservative than many leaders they have had in years and there you go.

I will be honest and say that I don't know much about the other candidates, but I do know quite a bit about Howard and the Aussie lifestyle. I've been there several times and I knew years ago he'd be gone next election.

[llama64]

Originally Posted by peter12

Flanagan is pretty right-wing, but he has also come to view the necessity of democracy in Canada. Most people are moderate, or the sum of the electorate is at least moderate. I think Harper has decided which conservative ideals he will fight for and which he is willing to let go in the name of good governance.

<off topic>

I believe you have Harper pretty much nailed on this one. He has managed to take advantage of the complete lack of opposition at a Federal level to change the opinion of much of Canada from believing that Harper and the new Conservatives were a bunch of religious-conservative nut jobs hell bent on re-instating "traditional marriage" and banning abortion.

I don't recall marriage or abortion even coming up from the Convervative side since Harper took power.

<on topic>

How much do you think the hatred of Bush contributed to Howard losing the election? World wide trends seem to be moving rapidly away from anything related to the Bush legacy and all hard line conservative leaders are starting to feel the blowback. I think it says alot about the power of interconnected communications systems in that another nations politics can have an affect in another country, especially when they are seperated by thousands of kilometers.