Shakeup Down Under
While we Americans were gorging ourselves on turkey and dressing, Australians were busy voting out their Prime Minister John Howard, who has been one of President Bush's closest allies. His successor, Kevin Rudd, has pledged to sign the Kyoto climate treaty, withdraw from Iraq and apologize to aborigines for Australia's past abuses.
While we Americans were gorging ourselves on turkey and dressing, Australians were busy voting out their Prime Minister John Howard, who has been one of President Bush’s closest allies. His successor, Kevin Rudd, has pledged to sign the Kyoto climate treaty, withdraw from Iraq and apologize to aborigines for Australia’s past abuses.
It’s a stinging defeat for Howard, who not only lost his fifth bid for the office, but may even wind up without a seat in parliament. No sitting Australian prime minister has lost his seat in 78 years.
Your support is crucial…BBC:
Mr Rudd’s two major foreign policy initiatives will both highlight differences with the Bush administration.
Firstly, the new Australian leader will sign the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. Perhaps more importantly, given that Kyoto has to be followed by a new agreement, he will himself go to the meeting in Bali next month that will launch negotiations for a post-Kyoto plan.
Secondly, Mr Rudd is expected to withdraw the 550 Australian combat troops from Iraq.
With an uncertain future and a new administration casting doubt on press freedoms, the danger is clear: The truth is at risk.
Now is the time to give. Your tax-deductible support allows us to dig deeper, delivering fearless investigative reporting and analysis that exposes what’s really happening — without compromise.
Stand with our courageous journalists. Donate today to protect a free press, uphold democracy and unearth untold stories.
Ear to the Ground
Nearly 90% of the Australian population supports the journalist’s safe return to his native country, says Greens Sen. David Shoebridge.
Under a groundbreaking agreement, men's and women's teams pool revenue and enjoy equal working conditions.
New fronts in the battle to contain the virus open rapidly, deepening a sense of crisis that has already sent financial markets plummeting.
Unless we remove the arsonists in power across the globe, we're headed for a climate catastrophe no less destructive than nuclear war.
We finally see a spark of global acknowledgement about the urgency of the crisis, thanks to Greta Thunberg and Australia's fires.
Scientists say they see no end to the way human-caused climate change is adversely affecting the planet.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.