Australian PM announces November 24 poll

by Tom van B | October 13, 2007 at 10:40 pm

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The next Australian election will take place on November 24 this year. The ultra conservative Howard government will be hard pressed to win this time around (12% behind in opinion polls). Younger voters have turned away from the Howard style. The hopeless war in Iraq, combined with the prospect of an US attack on Iran is a sure recipe for turning young Australians against further war cooperation with the Bush let government. Australian is in desperate need for an independent identity - it has a desire the remove the shackles which ties this nation so close to the US. Australia is experiencing (not counting the farming sector) a mega economic boom, allowing the conservative Australian electorate to have a fling. The election result is of course not a foregone conclusion Last time Howard promised tax cuts, and this was enough for most people to give their vote to him. A promise of a little money goes a long way in Australia.

Image: ABC News: Damien Larkins.

Prime Minister John Howard says the right leadership has the experience to further expand the the prosperity of the Australian economy.

Prime Minister John Howard says the right leadership has the experience to further expand the the prosperity of the Australian economy.

Prime Minister John Howard has announced Australia will go to the polls on November 24.

Mr Howard launched the election campaign after visiting Governor-General, Major General Michael Jeffery, earlier today.

He says in the weeks ahead people must decide who is most able to not only to preserve Australia's prosperity, but build it to make sure it is fairly spread.

"Is it a Government that has a proven track record in those areas? Or is it an inexperienced group of men and women, 70 per cent of whom are former trade union officials?" he said.

"The right leadership has the experience to further expand the the prosperity of the Australian economy.

"The right leadership is the leadership that's willing to take unpopular decisions in the short-term that have a long-term benefit for the Australian community.

"This country does not need new leadership, it doesn't need old leadership. It needs the right leadership."

Mr Howard says he is committed to ensuring full employment.

"That 33-year low [of 4.2 per cent unemployment] can go lower with the right policies. There is no reason why the current unemployment can't go lower," he said.

He also highlighted plans to enforce national security, Australia's interests overseas, and address climate change and water shortages.

Responding to questions regarding his comments this week on Indigenous reconciliation, Mr Howard says "we still have a long way to go".

"I have always wanted to achieve reconciliation," he said.

"What I believe the NT intervention has done, is provide a remarkable and a fortuitous opportunity.

"Not only do you have to unite conservative and progressive Australia, you've got to unite the symbolic with the practical."

Future government

Mr Howard says if re-elected....

[q
url="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iDob8TWbvxm3S8FTOn1dgh7Eqy_AD8S8QPV80"]Australia's
deployment of 550 combat troops in the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq is a
background issue, but an important one because it is an area of clear
difference and affects Australia's most important foreign relationship
— with the United States.

Howard, a staunch ally of President Bush, sent 2,000 troops to
support U.S. and British forces in the 2003 Iraq invasion and says the
1,600 Australian forces still involved in the operation will stay as
long as they are needed.

Rudd argues that the Iraq war has made Australia more vulnerable to
terrorist attack and has promised to withdraw Australia's 550 combat
troops, in consultation with Washington, while leaving the rest there
in lesser roles.

Howard on Sunday conceded his Iraq policy was unpopular with many
Australians, but said, "If America is defeated in Iraq, then that would
be bad for the Middle East, it would be an enormous boost to terrorism,
that would be particularly bad for us in our own region."

Rudd used the Iraq deployment and other issues to try to turn Howard's claim to greater experience against the prime minister.

"Mr. Howard has had a lot of experience into taking Australia into a
war without an exit strategy," Rudd said. "Mr. Howard has a lot of
experience in denying that climate change represented an economic and
environmental challenge for this nation's future."

Rudd has promised a Labor government would sign up to the Kyoto
Protocol on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, something Howard has
refused to do, making Australia and the U.S. the only industrialized
nations to reject the U.N.'s mandatory carbon emission reduction
targets.

[/q]