Australia to ratify Kyoto Protocol!

Thanks Titi, who saw this article first and sent it along!

AUSTRALIA TO SIGN KYOTO PROTOCOL

26 NOVEMBER 2007 CANBERRA (Pacnews) ----- Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has told world leaders Australia will ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change within weeks and has ordered senior bureaucrats to move quickly to draft new industrial relations laws.

The incoming prime minister has also repudiated Labor Party factions and trade unions by demanding the right to name his own ministry on merit and assuring voters he will reject sectional interests.

Mr Rudd was at his desk early yesterday to begin the transition to power after Saturday's stunning electoral annihilation of the Howard government, in which at least four ministers, including John Howard, appear to have lost their seats on the strength of a huge 6per cent national swing toLabor.

The record swing achieved by Labor eclipsed even the 5per cent swing achieved by Mr Howard to take government in 1996 as well as that of Labor's Bob Hawke in 1983 (3.6per cent) and Gough Whitlam in 1972 (2.5per cent)

As counting continued yesterday, the Australian Electoral Commission said Labor had secured 83 seats - up from 59. The Liberals held 48 seats, the Nationals 10 and independents two.

Seven seats were undecided. In Mr Howard's seat of Bennelong, Labor recruit and former journalist Maxine McKew was 343 votes ahead on the primary count and widely expected to use Greens preferences to terminate Mr Howard's 33-year career.

As the Coalition reeled in the wake of the rout, Mr Rudd took calls from US President George W.Bush and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, having spoken with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono late on Saturday night.

The prime minister-elect assured Mr Bush, a personal friend of Mr Howard, that Australia would retain its commitment to the US-Australian alliance. And he spoke at length to Dr Yudhoyono and Mr Brown about his policy priorities, including the early ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. Mr Rudd accepted Dr Yudhoyono's invitation to attend next month's climate change summit in Bali.

The summit is aimed at forging new international agreements over action on climate change, which critics charge has been stalled by the refusal of the US and China, backed by Australia, to take the symbolic step of ratifying the agreements on emission reduction targets outlined in the Kyoto pact.

Mr Rudd yesterday summoned senior bureaucrats to Brisbane for briefings, including talks on the timing of the Kyoto ratification, which formed a central part of Labor's policy on climate change.

Mr Rudd said Labor MPs would meet in Canberra on Thursday, after which he would finalise the make-up of his front bench. “I will be determining the ministry myself and that will be determined on the basis of merit and I believe that is entirely appropriate,” Mr Rudd said.

“I was elected yesterday as this country's next prime minister. I think it is incumbent upon me to put forward the best possible team for the nation.

“I intend to do that based on merit, based on performance.”

Unions, which backed Labor with a massive anti-Work Choices advertising campaign, are already agitating for Labor to act quickly and honour its promise to dump Mr Howard's workplace laws.

John Robertson, head of Unions NSW, called for retrospective laws that would allow people who had already signed Australian Workplace Agreements to escape them.
Mr Rudd will also face pressure from within Labor ranks to water down the Howard government's Northern Territory intervention program, with many concerned it is too draconian. Labor has promised to reinstate the Aboriginal permit system and the CDEP indigenous work-for-the-dole programme, but many in the party believe it needs to go further.

In a short press conference, a business-like Mr Rudd said work had begun on the implementation of Labor's policies, including the delivery of a world-class education system, greater efficiency in public hospitals, action on climate change, provision of infrastructure, including broadband, and greater resources for childcare.

“You will see us methodically work through our program for government,” said Mr Rudd, who spoke for less than 15 minutes. "The plans we put forward for the future are detailed. If you look at what we've advanced in terms of education, of hospitals, of climate change, of water as well as our proposals on industrial relations, this is a substantive agenda of work. Everyone is going to have their hands well and truly full.”

Mr Rudd said he was delighted with the performance of his front bench during the campaign but refused to endorse individuals beyond deputy leader Julia Gillard, treasurer-elect Wayne Swan and Labor finance spokesman Lindsay Tanner - all of whom were assured of their places earlier this year.

He refused to speculate on the future of gaffe-prone environment spokesman Peter Garrett or on whether he would draft high-profile former union leaders Greg Combet and Bill Shorten to senior positions.

Amid suggestions veteran Labor senator John Faulkner might also move to the front bench, Labor sources said last night Mr Rudd had devoted his energy to winning the election and had not yet given full attention to the ministry.

After a morning attendance at a church service in his Brisbane seat of Griffith, Mr Rudd spent the afternoon in meetings with Ms Gillard, Mr Swan and the secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Peter Shergold. The talks with Dr Shergold included discussions on the administrative arrangements required before the ratification of the Kyoto pact.

Mr Swan also met Treasury secretary Ken Henry, while Ms Gillard prepared for early discussions on the dismantling of the Work Choices laws.

Asked why Mr Howard had lost power, Mr Rudd said it was vital that leaders were honest with voters.

“I think it's really important with the Australian people to be straight up and down about what you can do and what you can't do,” he said

“We believe that the core reason we have prevailed in this election is because we've outlined an agenda for the future which now becomes our agenda of work. If we prosecute that agenda and implement it, faithfully, honestly, practically, we will command respect.”

Labor national secretary Tim Gartrell attributed the victory to a completely negative campaign by the government and Mr Rudd's campaign discipline. “Kevin Rudd ran a professional campaign,” he told the Nine Network's Business Sunday programme”He was an excellent leader.

“And I think the government completely underestimated him, there was a huge dose of hubris.”

Mr Gartrell said voters had concluded that Mr Howard had lost touch and become a man of the past…….PNS (ENDS)