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Howard loses election
24/11/2007 13:36 - (SA)
Rohan Sullivan
Sydney - Labour Party leader Kevin Rudd won a sweeping victory in Australia's elections on Saturday, ending an 11-year conservative era and promising major changes to policies on global warming and the Iraq war.
The win handed outgoing Prime Minister John Howard a humiliating end to a career in which he became Australia's second-longest serving leader - and who had appeared almost unassailable as little as a year ago.
Potentially adding insult to injury, Howard was among government parliamentarians in danger of losing his seat in Parliament. He would be only the second sitting prime minister in 106 years of federal government to be dumped from the legislature.
Official figures from the Australian Electoral Commission showed Labour far in front with more than 60% of the ballots counted.
Using those figures, an Australian Broadcasting Corp analysis showed that Labour would get at least 81 places in the 150-seat lower house of Parliament - a clear majority.
"On the numbers we've seen tonight, Labor is going to form a government," said deputy Labour leader Julia Gillard.
ABC radio reported that Howard aides said the prime minister had phoned Rudd to concede defeat.
- AP
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