Australian Election: Labor to win over Howard?

This is from the Times of India. Howard was a big supporter of Bush. Labor will sign the Kyoto agreement as opposed to Howard. The election is Nov. 24.

Poll shows Australian PM heading for defeat
17 Nov 2007,




SYDNEY: Prime Minister John Howard will enter the final week of Australia's election campaign well behind his opposition rival Kevin Rudd, according to an opinion poll published on Saturday.

A news poll published in the Australian newspaper covering the 18 most marginal seats held by Howard's conservative government showed Rudd's centre-left Labour party ahead 54 percent to 46.

The newspaper said if the results of the poll were duplicated in next Saturday's election, Labour would win between 18 and 25 seats, comfortably ahead of the 16 it needs to gain power.

It said one of the seats to fall to Labour under such a scenario would be Howard's own electorate of Bennelong in Sydney's suburbs.

Labour's 54-46 lead in the poll of 3,600 voters is identical to the findings of a separate survey published on Friday in the Sydney Morning Herald.

The Australian newspaper said in an editorial that it appeared Howard's Liberal-National coalition was headed for defeat on November 24 after almost 12 years in office.

"After four terms, the coalition appears to have run out of luck and lost the attention of voters," it said.

But Howard told the newspaper that he did not detect a "visceral hostility" towards him or his government among the public.

"I think there are a lot of people who are quite undecided and I think this election is anybody's at this present time, that's my strong view," he said.