Australian Federal Election 2007
The Australian Labor Party has triumphed over the Coalition in the recent Australian federal election. To come out victorious against two major parties that have been in power for more than a decade is no mean feat. The following is my quick analysis.
The Coalition’s biggest mistake was the introduction of WorkChoices, industrial relations laws which a lot of employees dislike because they give employers more power over workers to set wages and benefits [1]. Compounding matters was the government’s handling of this issue which was seen as arrogant by insisting that WorkChoices was good for workers despite mass opposition to it [2].
John Howard’s refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol was another major factor contributing to his defeat. In contrast, Kevin Rudd’s commitment to limit greenhouse gases was widely embraced by Australians worried about climate change after having experienced the worst drought in a century. [3]
The Coalition’s main argument that they are better placed to manage the country’s economy was successfully countered by Kevin Rudd who highlighted that Labor offered just A$2.3 billion of new pledges, a quarter of that of A$9.34 pledged by Howard [4].
Notes
[1] WSJ.com - “Victor in Australia Inherits Challenges”
[2] Herald Sun - “Coalition lost election because of arrogance: Gartrell”
[3] Bloomberg.com - “Rudd, New Australian Leader, Targets Kyoto Accord”
[4] Bloomberg.com - “Rudd Set to Win Australian Election, Ousting Howard”
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