The picture shows the face of Australia's latest Prime Minister.
Issues that Rudd will have to face include:
Rampant corruption within his party.
An uncertain world economy.
Demands for resources by an overpowering left wing.
He is under investigation over allegations of corruption pertaining to the destruction of evidence involving the pack rape of a detained Aboriginal Girl 17 years ago.
He has failed to make a hard decision during an election campaign in which press gave him a free pass.
He can speak Mandarin. Let China pull his strings.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Australia Loses Election
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John Howard concedes, says nation 'stronger, prouder'
By Mark Schliebs
OUTGOING prime minister John Howard conceded defeat to Labor in the federal election last night, saying he had bequeathed his successor a "stronger and prouder and more prosperous" country than it was 11 years ago when he came to power.
"I want to wish Mr Rudd well," Mr Howard told his supporters at Sydney's Sofitel Wentworth.
"There is no prouder job that anybody can occupy than being Prime Minister of this country."
Australia was the envy of the world after his time in office, he said.
Mr Howard said he had phoned Mr Rudd to congratulate him.
“I wish him will on the task he would undertake. We’ve bequeathed to him a nation that is stronger and prouder and more prosperous than it was 11-½ years ago.”
Mr Howard said he accepted responsibility for the election loss.
"I accept full responsibility for the Liberal Party campaign and I therefore accept full responsibility for the Coalition's defeat in this election campaign," he said.
Mr Howard also admitted he was likely to lose his seat of Bennelong, making him only the second prime minister to lose his seat.
"Although it is still officially in doubt, it is very likely to be the case that I will no longer be the member for Bennelong," he said.
"But whatever ultimately is the situation, I do want to thank the people of Bennelong who have done me the honour of electing me to represent them in the national parliament for some 33 years.
"And I do want to thank them very warmly."
Mr Howard thanked the many people he had worked with and singled out Treasurer Peter Costello – who he said would be a good leader for the nation - and former indigenous affairs minister Mal Brough for their roles.
“I owe a very special debt of gratitude (to Peter Costello)… he’s been a wonderful steward for the Australian economy,” Mr Howard said.
He said Mr Brough, who lost his Queensland seat of Longman, did a “wonderful” job on intervening to stop indigenous child abuse in the Northern Territory and that he hoped Labor will continue the work.
Mr Howard paid tribute to his wife Janette and their children for the support they gave him during his political career.
"She's not only been the love of my life but she's been my rock and my adviser and my life's companion for 36 years and through all of my ups and downs," he said.
Mrs Howard whispered in husband's ear, prompting him to say: "She continues to be. I owe everything that I have achieved in these recent years to a wonderful strong family and Janette has been the cement, Janette has been there all the time and she's had to put up with a lot."
Mr Howard also thanked his two sons, who joined him on the stage, and his daughter Melanie, who could not attend because she was acting as a bridesmaid at her best friend's wedding.
"She told me I'd chosen the election on the wrong day. And it appears that she's right," he joked.
In thanking all his staff, Mr Howard hinted at tensions in the lead-up to the election.
"Wonderful people who've put up with a sometimes cantankerous leader and prime minister over the past few months.
"It has not been easy and I want to thank all of them very warmly for the support they have given me."
In departing, Mr Howard said it had been a tremendous "honour, opportunity and privilege" to serve as prime minister and work as an MP for 33 years.
"Naturally I'm saddened by the defeat of the Coalition tonight but I count myself very fortunate to have been the beneficiary of the support of the people of Australia for so long.
"I thank them, I wish this nation well, I believe very profoundly that Australia's best years lie ahead of her.
"I wish the government elected by the people today the very best of good fortune in the years ahead, thank you."
Howard the 'champion of the battlers'
By Melissa Jenkins
DEFEATED Prime Minister John Howard will be remembered as a champion of Aussie battlers, Nationals Leader Mark Vaile says.
Mr Vaile, who watched Mr Howard make his concession speech on television from the Nationals' Sydney headquarters, said Mr Howard would be remembered as a man who fought for middle Australia.
"I think that John Howard will be remembered as a prime minister who actually championed the cause for average Australians - you know, the Howard battlers," he said.
"He developed a set of policies in the country that elevated their circumstances within the economy and within society, and ... really put average Australians in a position where they could more than ever before take advantage of the circumstances of the country."
Costello 'wouldn't have helped'
Mr Vaile said he did not think the Coalition would have fared better tonight had Mr Howard stepped aside for Peter Costello.
"Of course (it was) a very, very difficult circumstance under which the prime minister made that speech, given that tonight his own seat hangs in the balance," he said.
"After 33 years in the Australian political arena, you know, (it was) a difficult circumstance to confront late on polling night in 2007."
Mr Vaile said there were several reasons why Australians had thrown the coalition out of office.
“Our commitment to the war against terrorism, in some quarters, affected our vote,” he said.
“There seemed to be a sense of just wanting to change for change's sake in Australia.”
The Nationals have failed to meet a target of 14 House of Representatives seats, having declared victory in just 10 - the lowest number of seats the party has ever had.
Mr Vaile said the Nationals lost Page, in NSW, and Dawson, in Queensland, where De-Anne Kelly suffered a swing of more than 13 per cent against her with more than three-quarters of the vote counted.
He said he considered the newly-created seat of Flynn, in Queensland, still undecided.
“The one seat that I am most disappointed in, obviously, is the seat of Dawson that we have held for a number of years,” he said.
“It seems as though it is lost, and we know that some of the (anti-Work Choices) union campaigning was biting in Dawson.
“It was one that we knew was going to be a tough battle that we didn't expect to lose.”
Mr Vaile said it was a positive the party had survived the Labor wave.
“If you consider the national swing across Australia, the move towards the Labor Party and the tide going out if you like, and then you factor that into both those campaigns, that in average circumstances we may well have won those two seats, and certainly I have a hope of winning Flynn,” he said.
“But I am not making excuses; we haven't won them. We are assured of 10 seats with the possibility of another one.”
It was just bad timing, says Downer
from news.com.au
ALEXANDER Downer has put the Coalition's federal election defeat down bad timing for himself and his Liberal colleagues.
"I think people just think it's time," the outgoing foreign minister told a function in his South Australian electorate of Mayo, which he retained.
"People think we've been in for about 11-½ years, they are comfortable with Australia, they think we've done a good thing but it's time for a change."
Mr Downer suffered a swing against him of 7 per cent in his electorate, south of Adelaide, whittling down his pre-election margin of 13.6 per cent.
But he still enjoyed a healthy two-party preferred dominance over Labor candidate Mary Brewerton, 56.5 per cent to 43.5 per cent.
"I have been part of a government that has done such a wonderful job, we have built up the national economy to be the envy of the world," he told his supporters.
"I've been able to ... build, finally, Australia's relationship with Asia, to a point where we no longer supplicate or beg to participate in the region, but we're a major player."
President Bush congratulates Rudd
from news.com.au
US President George W. Bush looks forward to working with the new Australian government after Prime Minister John Howard, a staunch Bush ally, suffered an overwhelming electoral defeat by the Labor Party, a White House spokeswoman said.
“The US and Australia have long been strong partners and allies and the President looks forward to working with this new government to continue our historic relationship,” said spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore.
“President Bush congratulates Kevin Rudd and the Australia Labor Party on their election victory,” she said.
The President also complimented Mr Howard, one of his primary allies on the Iraq war.
“During his time as prime minister, Mr Howard served the people of Australia well by pursuing policies that led to strong economic growth and a commitment to keeping Australians safe by fighting extremists and their ideology around the world,” Ms Lawrimore said.
Mr Howard's 11-year rule was ended yesterday by a sweeping victory by Mr Rudd's Labor Party, which is expected to claim as many as 86 of the parliment's 150 seats.
Labor is set to control the central government and all eight state and territory administrations.
Mr Rudd had attracted criticism from Mr Bush for promising to pull Australian combat troops out of Iraq, where they back the US-led forces, but in a speech yesterday he held out an olive branch to Washington's increasingly isolated conservative administration.
He moved to allay fears that he may seek to step back from Canberra's close ties with Washington and stressed that he still regarded the US as a friend.
“I extend our greetings tonight to our great friend and ally the US,” he said.
DIGNIFIED CONCESSION: Howard wishes Rudd well as PM
LIVENEWS.com.au & AAP
John Howard has conceded defeat in front of party faithful at the Wentworth Hotel in Sydney.
Mr Howard also looks likely to lose his own seat of Bennelong to Labor star recruit Maxine McKew.
"My fellow Australians, a few moments ago I telephoned Mr Kevin Rudd and I congratulated him and the Australian Labor Party on an emphatic victory," Mr Howard told the crowd.
Mr Howard said he harboured no ill will to Mr Rudd.
"I wish him well in the task that he will undertake," Mr Howard said.
"We bequeath to him a nation that is stronger and prouder."
Mr Howard spoke of the economic prosperity Australia had enjoyed under the coalition.
"I've led a government that has taken this country from deep debt to strong prosperity," he said.
"I've led a government that has never shirked the difficult decisions.
"I've led a government that has reformed the Australian economy and left it the envy of the world."
"Can I say to all of you it has been an immense privilege every day of my life over the last 11 and half years to have been prime minister of this beautiful country," Mr Howard said.
He said he wanted to thank the Australian people for that privilege.
"It's something that has really been the most unbelievable experience.
"The Australian people are the greatest people on earth and this is the greatest country on earth."
Mr Howard thanked Nationals leader Mark Vaile, along with his predecessors John Anderson and Tim Fischer.
He extended particular thanks to former treasurer Peter Costello, to whom he said "we owe a very special debt of gratitude".
"He's been a wonderful steward of the Australian economy and the future of our party is very much tied up with Peter Costello," Mr Howard said.
"He is very much our future."
Mr Howard also singled out for thanks colleagues that had "fallen in electorate battles".
Some of the members had been in parliament only a short time, since 2004, he said.
"I particularly grieve the loss of Mal Brough who led the intervention in the Northern Territory," he said.
"I hope that the new government of (this) country maintains that intervention because it is very important to the long term benefit of the first Australians."
Mr Howard said he accepted responsibility for the election loss.
"I accept full responsibility for the Liberal Party campaign and I therefore accept full responsibility for the coalition's defeat in this election campaign," he said.
Mr Howard again gave his support for Peter Costello to be his successor as Liberal leader.
"The Liberal Party of course will need to choose a new leader," he said.
"I wish that person whoever it is and I've indicated very clearly from my earlier remarks who I believe it should be, I believe the future of our party does lie very much with Peter Costello and others who will come in behind him.
"The Liberal party will have a process of rebuilding to undertake."
Howard’s grace
Andrew Bolt
I failed on Insiders yesterday and in my piece today to pay a tribute to our second longest-serving Prime Minister. I may do something at fuller length later, but for now there’s this:
John Howard has always conducted himself with great personal courtesy and dignity. Whether you liked his policies or not, his personal behaviour was impeccable and his courage beyond question. He honored the office.
All of those qualities were on full show during his concession speech, which - for those who missed it - is worth viewing.
I heard yesterday that during this frantic campaign for his political life, Howard called in to see the dying Matt Price. No cameras. No fuss. And a chat to the neighbors afterwards.
I think he’ll be remembered with a great deal of respect and fondness. A great man.
The candidate from the broadcasting collective
Andrew Bolt
First it was the ABC’s 7.30 Report host Kerry O’Brien taking credit for former ABC staffer Maxine McKew’s win in Bennelong:
A swing to the ABC...
Now another public broadcaster wants a share of the glory:
The Liberal Party leader, 68, who had looked all but unassailable just a year ago, even faced losing his own seat last night to Labor’s Maxine McKew, who once worked in London as a BBC typist.
Australian refugee celebrates Howard’s end
Andrew Bolt
London’s Daily Telegraph interviews economist Paul Reynolds, a political exile from Australia, about the election result:
It’s a great feeling - I can finally come home now.
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