Mac
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I used to trust the media To tell me the truth, tell us the truth ....
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Post by Mac on Nov 25, 2007 1:31:53 GMT -5
Defeated Howard thanks Australia Posted Sat Nov 24, 2007 10:47pm AEDT Updated Sun Nov 25, 2007 0:27am AEDT Prime Minister John Howard has formally conceded defeat to Kevin Rudd in the federal election and paid tribute to the Australian people. Addressing a gathering of Liberal party supporters at Sydney's Wentworth Hotel, Mr Howard admitted it was "very likely" that he could lose his own seat of Bennelong to Labor challenger Maxine McKew. But he said it had been an immense privilege to have been the prime minister, and thanked the Australian people. "My fellow Australians, I telephoned Mr Kevin Rudd and I congratulated him and the Australian Labor Party on a very emphatic victory," he said. "This is a great democracy and I want to wish Mr Rudd well. "There is no prouder job in the world that anyone can occupy than being prime minister of this country." Mr Howard acknowledged that the speech was being delivered "at the end of my political career". "I take full responsibility for this campaign and I therefore accept full reponsibility for the defeat in this election," he added. For more of the article, goto: www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/24/2100335.htm |
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Post by abbracadabbra on Nov 25, 2007 16:46:02 GMT -5
I don't agree with you, Mac. Sad day for whom? Certainly not the Australian people. They voted and the majority ruled. That's the wonderful thing about democracy - the people have a voice. Governments aren't deposed by military coup - a smooth and cooperative transition occurs according to the rule of law and the voice of the people. I'd call that a triumph - something to celebrate - whether or not you agree with the people's choice.
My congratulations to Mr. Howard for his honorable service and many accomplishments, and my best wishes to Mr. Rudd.
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Mac
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I used to trust the media To tell me the truth, tell us the truth ....
Posts: 34
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Post by Mac on Nov 25, 2007 19:58:00 GMT -5
Sad day for the Australian people, Abby, John Howard was good for Australia and he done many good things for it. His party was voted out mainly because of his stance on the war. They've been attacking him for many years over that issue and this is the first year that enough votes were gathered to oust Howard's party from the majority.
Jenn and Hunter can tell you more about Aussie Politics than I, but the Aussies really don't pick their PM like we pick our President. They vote the party in and the party chooses the PM. In the US we vote for the man, not the party.. but some can argue that. :rolleyes:
However Australia was in miserable shape under the Labor party, Howard came in and turned the country around. That era is passed now and Kevin Rudd and labor needs to be given their chance to succeed or fail... but it's still a sad day for Australia. One can only hope that the Labor party fares as well, or better, than the Liberal party did.
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Post by abbracadabbra on Nov 26, 2007 16:57:40 GMT -5
I understand your point about the difference between parliamentary elections vs. presidential elections, but the bottom line is the people of Australia chose and the majority ruled. For you, as an American, to deride the choice of the Australian people regarding the Australian government is at best disrespectful. And your implication about the validity of (what you assume to be) the criteria for the people's choice is downright irreverent. What makes you better equipped than the majority of the Australian people to determine what's best for the Australian people?
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Mac
Initiate
I used to trust the media To tell me the truth, tell us the truth ....
Posts: 34
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Post by Mac on Nov 26, 2007 22:40:10 GMT -5
Abby, everyone is allowed their opinions. America gets saturated with opinions of foreigners every day and it is deemed "acceptable", therefore as an American providing my opinion upon the politics of other nations is also perfectly acceptable. That doesn't mean that my opinion outweighs theirs, nor does it mean their opinions are any better than mine. All it means is that an opinion is spoken. Now from my standpoint I remember when the Labor Party was in charge of Australia and the mess they made of things. Australia was a nation which didn't care for other nations a great deal, especially their views towards America and Americans. They had extremely high interest rates and a high unemployment rate. Australia was deep in debt. Under John Howard and his Liberal party, Australia lowered it's unemployment to one of the lowest Unemployment Rates in the world. Interest Rates dropped drastically. Australia became a nation friendly towards other nations and began to stand on it's own two feet. They became a force to reckon with in that area of the world. Best of all, America and Australia became friends and allies and Australia prospered under this friendship. That is all about to change, mark my words. Already the Labor Party, under Rudd's Leadership, has stopped American Warships from docking at their harbors... which takes huge amounts of money away from Australia every year. By June I expect the interst rates to go up, so do many Aussies. By next Christmas it is expected that unemployment will be higher than it has in years. The Aussie's are not stupid people, many knew Howard was good for their country.. but they allowed one or two issues outweight the many. Right now I am afraid Australia will pay for that choice. I understand your point about the difference between parliamentary elections vs. presidential elections, but the bottom line is the people of Australia chose and the majority ruled. For you, as an American, to deride the choice of the Australian people regarding the Australian government is at best disrespectful. And your implication about the validity of (what you assume to be) the criteria for the people's choice is downright irreverent. What makes you better equipped than the majority of the Australian people to determine what's best for the Australian people? |
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