Australia's Howard calls election for Nov. 24.

It looks as if Bush may lose one of his big buddies. Not to worry he still has Harper here in Canada and Sarkozy in France and to some extent Brown in the UK. The opposition will bring home Aussies from Iraq and sign Kyoto if they win.

Australia's veteran Prime Minister John Howard on Sunday called a
national
election for November 24, stressing experience over his Labor opponent
and
shrugging off polls that show he faces near-certain defeat.

Howard, 68, in power for 11 years but lagging well behind youthful
Labor leader
Kevin Rudd in opinion surveys, said that only he was able to lead
Australia
into the future and continue the country's current resource-driven
economic
boom.

"Love me or loath me the Australian people know where I stand on all
the major
issues of importance to their future," said Howard, who is danger of
losing in
his own Sydney-based seat.

Howard, Australia's second-longest serving leader, said the country was
enjoying remarkable prosperity, but promised voters the best years
could lie
ahead.

"But that won't happen automatically. This country does not need new
leadership, it does not need old leadership, it needs the right
leadership," he
said, unveiling what will likely become the conservatives' fighting
slogan.

But if Howard wins he has already said he will hand over the prime
ministership
to his deputy, Treasurer Peter Costello, some time during the next
term.

The election will determine the future of Canberra's military
contribution in
Iraq and climate change stance, with Labor promising to bring home
combat
troops and sign the Kyoto climate pact. But the poll will be fought and
won on
domestic issues.

GENERATIONAL CHANGE

Rudd, 50, has promised generational change to take the country into the
future,
including sweeping reforms to healthcare, education and controversial
labor
laws introduced by Howard.

"What I'm offering the Australian people is new leadership," Rudd said.
"Australia can't afford another three years of a government which has
already
had 11 years ... a government without fresh ideas for our nation's
future."

A newspaper opinion poll on Sunday gave Labor 59 percent of the overall
vote,
compared with the coalition government's 41 percent. But Labor needs to
pick up
an imposing 16 more seats in the 150-seat lower house to take power.
full:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071014/wl_nm/australia_politics_dc_5;_ylt=Agwb0SWTHEwxA7rGaJGZHCFkMfQI