'Labor' wins Down Under!

NorthernMonkey Sat Nov 24, 2007 at 12:20:26 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook



The Australian Labor Party has won the 2007 General Election ending the 11-year premiership of John Howard and the Liberal Party!




http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7109692.stm

Another one of Bush's friends has been toppled and congratulations to Kevin Rudd who will now become Prime Minister of Australia.



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'Labor' wins Down Under! | 26 comments (26 topical)

Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#1)

by CitizenAndreas on Sat Nov 24, 2007 at 01:57:48 PM GMT

This is brilliant news, I second NorthernMonkey's congratulations.


Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#2)

by treborc on Sat Nov 24, 2007 at 02:24:46 PM GMT

I will wait to see if he is Labor or New Labour, we have two different Labours now.


Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#3)

by swatantra on Sat Nov 24, 2007 at 03:02:39 PM GMT

I think you'll find him to be new Labour. He wants Australia to become a Republic and more of a SE Asian power rather than be seen as tied too closely to America and Britain. The fact that he speaks fluent Mandarin might even help in his dealings with China and Japan.


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Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#4)

by Group51 on Sat Nov 24, 2007 at 03:50:29 PM GMT

Not Japan...


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Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#5)

by jkitleft on Sat Nov 24, 2007 at 05:41:22 PM GMT

The ALP is an odd party. There are genuine left-wingers like Julia Gillard, but there are others like Rudd, who don't even fit under a 'New Labour' banner, he's got some pretty conservative views


Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#6)

by lastword on Sat Nov 24, 2007 at 06:30:54 PM GMT

Excellent news.


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Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#9)

by NorthernMonkey on Sat Nov 24, 2007 at 09:49:40 PM GMT

That's true - Rudd's not too keen on gay rights for example but hopefully that will change as time goes on. I think he had to 'mellow' his views to ensure election but perhaps he can be a little more bolder now.


Still anyway, he can be no worse than Howard!


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Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#10)

by Muj on Sat Nov 24, 2007 at 11:01:07 PM GMT

Did'nt seems to "mellow" on Iraq.

He won on a troops out of Iraq platform.


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Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#11)

by swatantra on Sun Nov 25, 2007 at 11:19:27 AM GMT

Muj you're absolutely right. Iraq. A lesson for Brown.
And Howard lost because the people simply got tired of him, even though economy was bouyant. A lesson for Brown. And Howard was 67 yrs old. A lesson for all our Ming-like bed blockers who simply won't hang up their boots, call it a day, and move on. 


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Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#18)

by TonyH on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 08:33:50 AM GMT

That's an astonishingly ageist comment Swatantra - I'm surprised at you of all people as you frequently post about equality.


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Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#25)

by swatantra on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 11:27:54 PM GMT

I'm surprised at myself really! But I've seen too many hangers-on in the Party who don't know when their time is up. Every politician should be restricted to 3 terms followed by a break of one term, before they can come back. They might well find the rest does them and their constituents a power of good, and they develop interests elsewhere, not to want to come back. 


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Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#26)

by jkitleft on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 09:19:41 PM GMT

we have term limits

they're called elections.


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Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#23)

by treborc on Tue Nov 27, 2007 at 10:38:30 PM GMT

Well lets see if age is a reason for being a rotten leader whats Browns excuse. dementia.

Ah who gave us a loan who sent me money. am I the leader.


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Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#14)

by jkitleft on Sun Nov 25, 2007 at 08:12:15 PM GMT

not true at all, he won because there was an anti-Howard sentiment, and because of interest rate rises and the contraversial Workchoices. Troops out of Iraq was a popular platform, but not the dealbreaker for the Australian electorate


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Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#7)

by Just Labour on Sat Nov 24, 2007 at 07:02:10 PM GMT

Strewth! A bonzer result me cobbers...


Apols but I'm over the moon and the cherry on the cake could be Howard losing his seat as well as the election.


Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#8)

by NorthernMonkey on Sat Nov 24, 2007 at 09:22:11 PM GMT

Fair dinkum!


[ Parent ]

"Its the unions wot won it" (#12)

by grayee on Sun Nov 25, 2007 at 02:20:24 PM GMT

I am sure that the whole Australian Labour movement deserves praise for what appears to have been a well thought out and united sensible political campaign.

However, is also good news for the trade unions in Australia who have been at the receiving end of some pretty vicious anti-union government policies in recent years.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) have just published some interesting research on the result which suggest that Industrial Relations (IR) was amongst the most important issue for nearly 80% of Labour voters (45% said it was their single most important issue). The Unions also appear to have played a major role in mobilising their members to come out and vote.


Hope Brown has a read


Re: "Its the unions wot won it" (#13)

by bobbysilby on Sun Nov 25, 2007 at 05:56:20 PM GMT

There was no need for the Unions to get their members out, voting is compulsary in Australia.


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Re: "Its the unions wot won it" (#15)

by grayee on Sun Nov 25, 2007 at 09:36:52 PM GMT

Ah true, but who will they vote for?


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Re: "Its the unions wot won it" (#19)

by johninnit on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 08:35:39 AM GMT

Looking at the polling, the union campaign was very significant indeed. It shifted a main theme of the campaign onto the Industrial Relations legislation issue - an issue that Howard couldn't win the argument on (though one where people originally hadn't thought it that significant - and where Labor were too scared of alienating employers to challenge more strongly), and it kept up the pressure through really powerful TV ads, which were able to reach and convince many outside traditional union circles. Howard outspent the union ad campaign about 20 to one with his own govt counter-ads, but they didn't make a lot of difference to his ratings - any week the union ads ran, his approval ratings plummeted. You can see the ads at the campaign site: http://www.yourrightsatwork.com.au


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Re: "Its the unions wot won it" (#20)

by johninnit on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 08:37:10 AM GMT

sorry - didn't mean to shout in bold! (comment box a little confusing in firefox - at least to thickos like me)


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Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#16)

by laurencemarshall on Sun Nov 25, 2007 at 09:57:19 PM GMT

I was at the ALP party in central London when the results were coming in at 9.30 in the morning. I didn't leave the pub until 11:00pm. A great night.


Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#17)

by grayee on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 12:24:45 AM GMT

A good night was had by all!


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Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#21)

by treborc on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 01:05:00 PM GMT

Great news for New labour, but for how long.


Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#22)

by bigpapi on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 03:10:32 PM GMT

Rudd has only committed to withdrawing "combat" troops from Iraq - he fully intends to keep the larger contingent, working in a "security" capacity in place.  He also has not signified any intention of withdrawing Australia's troop commitment in Afghanistan.


On a brighter note it now seems certain Howard has lost his seat to Maxine McKew, a former ABC newsreader - I wonder how long before Cameron recruits Fiona Bruce to run in Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath?!?!


Even if he's "New" Labour, anything, particularly on immigration rights, has to be an improvement on Howard.


Re: 'Labor' wins Down Under! (#24)

by treborc on Tue Nov 27, 2007 at 10:42:13 PM GMT

Well lets hope their New labour is not like our New labour..




'Labor' wins Down Under! | 26 comments (26 topical)