The best coverage I’ve seen on the humiliating defeat of right-wing Australian PM John Howard comes from the Wall Street Journal, which forthrightly highlights the global warming side of the picture:
Unlike his rival [Howard], Mr. Rudd promised to ratify the
Kyoto Protocol, the 1997 international accord aimed at reducing
greenhouse gas emissions. Doing so will deprive the U.S. of one of its
key supporters on climate change issues and put new pressure on the
Bush administration ahead of an important meeting next month (DEC 3-14)
in Bali, Indonesia, where world leaders will discuss what to do when
the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. The Bush administration has so far
refused to ratify the Kyoto plan.
[In his acceptance speech] Mr. Rudd vowed to be a prime minister for "all Australians" and
highlighted some of his policy priorities, including a promise to act
with "great urgency on the challenge of climate change."
More on this and other intriguing topics as soon as the Thanksgiving family tumult passes.
Kit Stolz 