Howard Concedes
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has conceded the election to Kevin Rudd, accepting full responsibility for his party's defeat in the elections.
Mr Howard, who was seeking a fifth term after 11 years of conservative rule, said he had telephoned Labor leader Kevin Rudd to congratulate him on his victory.
"It has been an immense honour to be prime minister of Australia," he told supporters after election results showed a 6.3% swing to Labor.
"We bequeath to (Mr Rudd) a nation that is stronger and prouder and more prosperous than it was 11 and a half years ago," he declared.
Howard will be missed.
World news | Gaius Saturday, 24 November , 2007
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Public Secrets: from the files of the Irishspy — Saturday, 24 November , 2007 @ 2:33 pm
By Anthony (Los Angeles), Saturday, 24 November , 2007 @ 8:37 am
Howard was one of the few heads of government who was clear-sighted and forthright about the dangers posed by Islamic fascism, and he was a loyal friend of the US. I’d come to admire him quite a bit over the years.
Still, from what I’ve read, the new PM is from the conservative wing of his party, so I don’t expect much change in Australia vis-a-vis the Long War, other than perhaps to pull out of Iraq.