Political foreshadowing in Austrailia

Austrailia's Elections

Austrailia and The UK have long been our most conservative and closest allies n the world stage. Austrailia's leadership, in particular, has aligned itself closely with our policies in Iraq and with respect to global climate change. The Austrailian PRime Minsiter, John Howard, has gone as far as criticizing U.S. democratic presidential candidates in his home country. Many around the world and here at home looked to this weekend's Austrailian elections as a referendum and a foreshadowing of what to expect in the US next year.
Today, Austrailians spoke loudly and clearly. It is very likely that Americans will cast similar votes next year, as surveys and polls of the Austrailian public mirror our own. Here is an exerpt bellow for those who don't wish to link:

from the AP:

"SYDNEY, Australia - Conservative Prime Minister John Howard suffered a humiliating defeat Saturday at the hands of the left-leaning opposition, whose leader has promised to immediately sign the Kyoto Protocol on global warming and withdraw Australia's combat troops from Iraq.
Labor Party head Kevin Rudd's pledges on global warming and Iraq move Australia sharply away from policies that had made Howard one of President Bush's staunchest allies.

Rudd has named global warming as his top priority, and his signing of the Kyoto Protocol will leave the U.S. as the only industrialized country not to have joined it."