Australian Prime Minister John Howard has suffered a humiliating election defeat as the opposition Labor Party swept into power.
Mr Howard, who was seeking a fifth term after 11 years of conservative rule, is reported to have telephoned Labor leader Kevin Rudd to admit defeat. The outgoing prime minister also appeared to be on course to lose his own seat, which he has held since 1974, as the elections saw a 6.3% swing to Labor. If he does lose his constituency, he will be the first prime minister since 1929 to do so. Former diplomat Mr Rudd, 50, presented himself as a new generation leader compared with the 68-year-old Mr Howard.
Voters warmed to his promise to pull Australian troops out of Iraq and sign the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. The pledges further isolate the United States, which had received strong backing from Mr Howard.
"On the numbers we've seen tonight, Labor is going to form a government," deputy Labor leader Julia Gillard told Australian television as results came in. The Labor victory marks only the sixth change of government in Australia since the Second World War. The election was fought mainly on domestic issues, with Labor exploiting widespread anger at workplace laws and rising interest rates. Mr Howard was Australia's second-longest serving prime minister behind Liberal Party founder Sir Robert Menzies. |