It's on for young and old..

[multi]

The ABC's election computer says John Howard has lost Bennelong.

http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/

[JackSpratts]

they say a landslide for rudd. looks like the troops will be coming home sooner.

[multi]

yep.. Labor won with a huge majority

he said he would send the navy after the Jap fishing boats hunting whale. I guess that remains to be seen

The pull out from Iraq is going to be a phased withdrawal but troops will be staying in Afghanistan where we are starting to lose a few soldiers in skirmishes with the Taliban.

[daddydirt]

Kevin Rudd recoils from climate change pledge

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd last night did an about-face on deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, days after Australia's delegation backed the plan at the climate talks in Bali.

A government representative at the talks this week said Australia backed a 25-40 per cent cut on 1990 emission levels by 2020.

But after warnings it would lead to huge rises in electricity prices, Mr Rudd said the Government would not support the target.

The repudiation of the delegate's position represents the first stumble by the new Government's in its approach to climate change.

Mr Rudd said he supported a longer-term greenhouse emissions cut of 60 per cent of 2000 levels by 2050.

[multi]

Peter Garrett (one time lead singer for 'Midnight Oil') will be forever haunted by his little joke in the days leading up to the election .

...about Labour changing all their policies after they win government..
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/conte...7/s2080725.htm

they also promised to send the navy after the Japanese Whaling boats .. yeh right?

climate change... no problem!
we will be right on it.
until we're not...

they will probably tell us their new stance is because of the inaction of the last government.

[multi]

Originally Posted by multi

they also promised to send the navy after the Japanese Whaling boats .. yeh right?

The first and more serious of the two deals with the Australian armed forces and Japan’s whaling fleet. The new Australian government, elected in part because of its strong environmental stance, is considering sending a Navy observation ship to gather evidence on the fleet’s whaling activities.

The new Labor government may bring a legal challenge against the Japanese in the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Ruud said: “We take seriously Australia’s international obligations on the proper protection of whales. We would not rule out the use of Australian assets to collect appropriate data including photographic evidence concerning whaling activities.”

The government has not decided whether or not to send a ship yet, but will be making that decision sometime early next week. Japan has announced its intentions to hunt in an area the Australian government, but not international organizations, has dubbed a whale sanctuary.

Japan reacted as it generally does when attacked on its whaling policies. The government told Australia to bring it (we’re paraphrasing here). Confident that it will come through any legal action unscathed, the Japanese fisheries agency has issued public challenges for any country to take it to court over its whaling activities. The Japanese ambassador to Australia said he was aware of the country’s outrage but Japan would continue whaling.

The issue for the Australian government is the legal status of the water which it considers a whale sanctuary. The government considers a section of Antarctica their territory, including the sanctuary, but is has not been officially recognized by any governing bodies. Naval action in the area could breach certain international laws which have designated Antarctica a demilitarized zone. http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/?p=608