LA Times has the story:
Associated Press
September 7, 2013, 5:29 a.m.CANBERRA, Australia — Australia’s conservative opposition swept to power Saturday, ending six years of Labor Party rule and winning over a disenchanted public by promising to end a hated tax on carbon emissions, boost a flagging economy and bring about political stability after years of Labor infighting.
“I know that Labor hearts are heavy across the nation tonight, and as your prime minister and as your parliamentary leader of the great Australian Labor Party, I accept responsibility,” Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said in a speech to supporters, after calling opposition leader Tony Abbott to concede defeat. “I gave it my all, but it was not enough for us to win.”
A victory for the conservative Liberal Party-led coalition comes despite the relative unpopularity of Abbott, a 55-year-old former Roman Catholic seminarian and Rhodes scholar who has struggled to connect with women voters and was once dubbed “unelectable” by opponents and even some supporters.
But voters were largely fed up with Labor and Rudd, after a years-long power struggle between him and his former deputy, Julia Gillard. Gillard, who became the nation’s first female prime minister after ousting Rudd in a party vote in 2010, ended up losing her job to Rudd three years later in a similar internal party coup.
The drama, combined with Labor reneging on an election promise by imposing a deeply unpopular tax on the nation’s biggest carbon polluters, proved deadly for Labor’s re-election chances.
Also see:
- Tony Abbott, who said “Climate Change is Absolute Crap” Will Become Australia’s 28th Prime Minister
- SMH: Abbott: I pledge myself to the service of this country
- Telegraph (UK): Tony Abbott wins one for Christian conservatives: Australia’s Lefties must be weeping into their beer
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I was wondering if this new government in Australia will finally confront the Mulsim immigration problem in that country. Does anyone know?
@Juan Eduardo
Tony Abbott has said he will fix border security. The past year 50,000 illegals flooded in many, mainly via Indonesia and without documentation.
That’s already a big start.
ATM he doesn’t control both house: the Senate isn’t completely under his control – yet.
As for those who are here he has said he will change the history curriculum. We are going to have to wait and see but obviously this subject wasn’t mentioned before the election.
One thing for sure – he will do more than the previous government would have.
It was sad to discover that all countries in Europe are doomed and will soon be taken over by Muslims. Iceland reported the same information this past week. God help Australia, I can hardly visualize a kangaroo jumping around wearing a turban, or a Burka.
In Canada our Liberal leader Justin Trudeau (who is pandering to Muslims to secure more votes for his party), is now reporting to a mosque every week and praying to Alah.
Canada is presently spending 23 billion (borrowed dollars) each year to suppor their excessive immigration policies, while telling Canada’s elderly that the country is so broke that they must now work until age 67 before they are entitled to an old age pension. You can see where Canadian politicians priotities are.