John Howard Out

[Thierry.]

What does this mean for our wallaby’s nomads?

 

PM Howard concedes Australia poll

 

Pollsters expect Mr Rudd to be Australia's new prime minister

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has admitted defeat in the country's general election, and looks set to lose his parliamentary seat.

Mr Howard said he had telephoned Labor leader Kevin Rudd "to congratulate him on an emphatic victory".

Mr Rudd said the country had "looked to the future" and he pledged to be a prime minister "for all Australians".

With 70% of votes counted, Labor were on course to win the 76 seats needed to form a government.

More than 20 constituencies from a total of 150 are still to produce a result, but Labor already has 72 seats compared with 48 for Mr Howard's Liberal-National coalition.

Rare fate

Amid cheers from Liberal Party faithful, Mr Howard said it had been a privilege to have served as prime minister since 1996.

 

AUSTRALIAN ELECTION

More than 13.5m of Australia's roughly 21m people are registered to vote

Electors will choose candidates for all 150 seats in the lower House of Representatives and 40 of the 76 seats in the upper house, the Senate

PM John Howard has led the conservative Liberal-National party coalition to four election wins since 1996 and is seeking a final term

Kevin Rudd is taking the centre-left Labor Party to the polls for the first time as leader

Election issues are the economy, environment and war in Iraq

 

Profile: John Howard

Profile: Kevin Rudd

Voters' panel

 

"We've bequeathed to [Mr Rudd] a nation that is stronger and prouder and more prosperous than it was 11 and a half years ago," he said.

Mr Howard, who had been bidding for a fifth term in office, conceded the national election and accepted he was "unlikely" to return as MP for Bennelong.

If unseated, he would be only the second prime minister in Australia's history to suffer such a fate.

Voters in Bennelong have elected Mr Howard in 13 consecutive elections over 33 years.

But figures from the electoral commission suggested with more than 50% of the votes counted in the constituency, he had lost the seat to Maxine McKew, a former TV journalist.

An exit poll conducted by Sky News and Channel 7 suggested a similar result.

Anti-government backlash

Labor leader Mr Rudd, a 50-year-old former diplomat, had led in opinion polls throughout the election campaign.

As he cast his ballot in his Queensland constituency, Mr Rudd said: "I have to say there is a strong mood for change in Australia. People want new leadership with a positive plan for the future."

 

What has struck me most is the number of people who've started their sentences with the words 'I used to vote for John Howard, but...'

 

Nick Bryant

BBC News in Sydney

 

Read Nick's thoughts in full

Election in pictures

 

During the campaign, Labor sought to capitalise on the Howard administration's refusal to sign the Kyoto protocol on climate change.

Mr Howard campaigned on his record of sound economic management.

BBC's Nick Bryant, in Sydney, said Labor had swept back into power by harnessing an anti-government backlash.

Mr Howard had found himself on the wrong side of public opinion on Kyoto protocol and the war in Iraq, our correspondent said. Many people also seemed to be simply tired of Mr Howard after 11 years of his rule.

Participating in elections is compulsory under Australian law and more than 13.5 million people were expected to vote

[-Nomadique-]

^ This means alot.

 

Rudd's victory speech was quite something. I was really struck by the following:

 

"I say to all of those who have voted for us today, to each and every one of them that I will be a Prime Minister for all Australians.

 

A Prime Minister for Indigenous Australians.

 

Australians who have been born here and Australians who have come here from afar and have contributed to the great diversity in Australia."

Mainly because multiculturalism was being killed off by Howard and the position of Indigenous Australians had regressed during his 11 and a half years in power.

 

If this speech is a good indication of Rudd's thinking he will be much better than I thought.

 

Let's hope for the best.

[Castro]

^^^^ Don't uncork the Champagne just yet. This Rudd fella will stick to the script. He will say all the right things, do a few token things, then it's business as usual. Specifically, he will support all the hegemonic practices of the sole, but rapidly diminishing, super power. He will maintain Australia's bellicose posture in that part of the world and finally, he will ensure the public is slowly lulled into sleep after Howard woke them up with his chronic folly and he will ensure Australia's elite maintain their status unperturbed.

 

You could even argue he's Australia's Hillary Clinton.

[N.O.R.F]

^^Or he could do it quietely and at a slow pace like GB of GB (Great Britain) who has distanced himself away from the US and has put the withdrawal of Iraq into full swing.

 

Good riddance John Howard.

[Che -Guevara]

Australia had elections?...Hhmmmm. well warm wishes from the US to whoever is our next poodle there.

 

P.S. Mr PM, We command you to visit Indonesia first, and then get your a*ss to DC.

[Emperor]

I don't think there is or will be much difference between Howard and this New dude, but it's always refreshing to see an old racist dog booted out of office...

[Intel]

Howard gowwwn

Costello gowwwn

Rudock gowwwn

Downer gowwwn

Nelson gowwwn

Andrews gowwwn

Abbott gowwwn

 

finally a ray of light

[Buuxo]

^YAY

 

Wooohooooooo,

 

Thanks to me Kevin and my somali neighbours that i rallied up to vote for you! But my voting experience was rather dull , i was expecting nacnac ,maybe a sticker or badge that said "i Voted" , i mean that would of gonna along away, as i don't expect you to fulfil any of your promises in the next 2 years.

[Legend of Zu]

^^^Your vote didn't count, you were smiling when you voted.

[-Nomadique-]

^^^^Buuxo you thought your experience was lame. Try voting in an electorate that will never ever be lost by the Liberal Party. My only 'useful' vote went towards the Senate.

 

Castro, Rudd is still very much an enigma, hardly anyone knows what he stands for. He may well turn out to be quite similar to Howard but only time will tell.

 

At this point though there is some hope that the divisivness that came to characterise Howard's tenure has some chance of being rectified.

 

Intel, I see you're relieved you don't have to move back to New Zealand.

[Buuxo]

^^yeah i know ,my electorate was a close call,the only difference was a few votes.

 

Legend, do you blame my qaxooti a$$ for smiling, i might never get the chance to vote in the motherland.

[Intel]

Originally posted by -Nomadique-:

Intel,

I see you're relieved you don't have to move back to New Zealand.

lol very much so, and the whole qaraabo are on their way

thank you kevin....