Bush congratulates Rudd
November 25, 2007 - 9:28AM

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Australia's strong relationship with the United States, its closest ally, is unlikely to be materially affected by the defeat of Prime Minister John Howard, who enjoyed a close personal relationship with President George Bush.

The President issued a statement overnight congratulating Kevin Rudd and the Australian Labor Party on their victory.

"The United States and Australia have long been strong partners and allies and The President looks forward to working with this new government to continue our historic relationship," a spokesman for Mr Bush, Gordon Johndroe, said.

But Mr Bush took the opportunity to praise John Howard, with whom he formed a close bond in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York's World Trade Centre and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. Mr Howard had been visiting Washington at the time.

"President Bush also sends his best to a good friend and ally, John Howard," the White House statement said.

"During his time as Prime Minister, Mr Howard served the people of Australia well by pursuing policies that led to strong economic growth and a commitment to keeping Australians safe by fighting extremists and their ideology around the world."

As a backbencher and opposition spokesman on foreign affairs, Mr Rudd went out of his way to make high level contacts within the US congress, the Bush administration and senior Democrats - some of whom are likely to figure in a future administration if a Democrat is elected president in 2008.

Mr Rudd used his victory speech to underline his determination to continue the relationship, despite his policy of a staged withdrawal of Australian combat troops from Iraq, in consultation with the US.

He singled out the US for the first special mention, ahead of countries in Asia and Europe, as the nation with which Australia had a special relationship.

Aside from the proposed Iraq troop withdrawal, there are other areas where Labor is likely to break ranks with the US.

The most notable is in the approach to climate change: Mr Rudd has said Australia will sign the Kyoto Protocol, which would leave the US the world's only developed country that has committed to the agreement to reduce carbon emissions.

DRH- great pic!!!

freediver wrote on Nov 26^th, 2007 at 10:49am:



posted what enough?

I was talking to Death - about that picture.

I was also invited along to Bali by one of the conference people, but unfortunately I won't be ableo to go.

Let's hope Rudd gives Fiji the cold shoulder treatment. The Fiji situation: http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1165569833/35#35

Malaysian PM praises Rudd over Kyoto

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Malaysian-PM-praises-Rudd-over-Kyoto/2007/11/26/1195975902727.html

Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdulah Ahmad Badawi has praised his new Australian counterpart Kevin Rudd for pledging to quickly ratify the Kyoto protocol and withdraw troops from Iraq.

"The agreement by the Labor Party to sign the Kyoto protocol to fight global warming and climate change is a big departure from John Howard's Liberal-National coalition government."

"I believe the cordial Malaysia-Australia bilateral ties will improve further under Rudd's administration."

Rudd key to international role

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Rudd-key-to-international-role/2007/11/25/1195975874010.html

Whoever becomes foreign minister in a Rudd government, there's little doubt the new prime minister will be the main player when it comes to Australia's role on the international stage.

A former diplomat and a former Labor foreign affairs spokesman, Mr Rudd will want to put his stamp on Australia's relationship with the rest of the world.

Just minutes after claiming victory, the prime minister-elect was taking calls from the leaders of Indonesia, the United States and Britain.

Yudhoyono invites Rudd to Bali talks

http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking-news/yudhoyono-invites-rudd-to-bali-talks/2007/11/25/1195962824655.html

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has formally invited Kevin Rudd to attend key United Nations climate change talks in Bali next month, after congratulating him on his election win.

Presidential spokesman Dino Djalal said Yudhoyono was the first foreign leader to call the Labor leader, and spoke to him shortly after his victory speech on Saturday night.

Fiji hopes of better ties through Rudd

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Fiji-hopes-of-better-ties-through-Rudd/2007/11/26/1196036770984.html

Fiji's coup leader has said he hopes Kevin Rudd's election win will help relations improve between the two countries.

Commodore Frank Bainimarama welcomed news the Labor Party had taken power in Australia.

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Indigenous leaders welcome Howard defeat

http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking-news/indigenous-leaders-welcome-howard-defeat/2007/11/25/1195947543958.html

Some indigenous leaders have welcomed the end of the Howard government and expressed relief that Mal Brough has been forced out of parliament.

Mr Brough - the outgoing minister for indigenous affairs - lost his Queensland seat of Longman to Labor candidate Jon Sullivan after suffering a swing of more than 10 per cent.

Mr Brough, the architect of the government's dramatic and controversial intervention into Northern Territory indigenous communities, was a divisive figure.

His approach was supported by such high-profile Aboriginal leaders as Noel Pearson and Galarrwuy Yunupingu, but others deemed it racist, draconian and unworkable.

Mr Brough has called on Labor to continue the NT intervention, to which it gave bipartisan support earlier this year, but it will almost certainly be watered-down.

No   Hopefully you lot can take car of yourselves. I've just got too much going on at the moment.

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Brown welcomes Rudd input on climate

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Brown-welcomes-Rudd-input-on-climate/2007/11/28/1196036934826.html

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown believes his new Australian counterpart's contribution to global climate change talks next month will be very important for the future.

Mr Brown phoned Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd to congratulate him after Saturday's election result.

"Of course I wish him well in Australia and I will be looking at how he proceeds to learn any lessons that are necessary for Britain," Mr Brown told ABC Radio.

He said he was particularly interested in what moves the new Labor government will make on climate change, particularly in ratifying the Kyoto Protocol.

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Australia may encourage US to Kyoto: EU

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Australia-may-encourage-US-to-Kyoto-EU/2007/11/30/1196394599044.html

The European Union (EU) is hoping Australia's decision to ratify the Kyoto Protocol will encourage the United States to follow suit.

Ahead of a UN-sponsored conference to negotiate a new global agreement for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions after Kyoto expires in 2012, the union says it very happy to see Australia join in.

Prime minister-elect Kevin Rudd, new climate-change minister Penny Wong and environment minister Peter Garrett will attend the Bali conference which starts on Monday.

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Applause for Australia over Kyoto shift

http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking-news/applause-for-australia-over-kyoto-shift/2007/12/03/1196530565908.html

Spontaneous applause erupted for Australia as hundreds of delegates at the Bali climate change conference lauded Canberra's decision to ratify the Kyoto protocol.

Key delegates at the 11-day conference, being held under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said Australia would now enjoy full participation in negotiations for a post-Kyoto treaty to fight global warming.

Delegates from 180 nations and the world's top climate change scientists broke into applause as the conference noted Australia's decision to abandon its long-held opposition to ratifying Kyoto.

Just hours after being sworn in as Australia's 26th prime minister on Monday, Kevin Rudd ratified the protocol.

The ratification will come into force in 90 days.

The move leaves the United States out in the cold, as the only major economy to boycott the UN climate pact.

Indonesia's Environment Minister and the new president of the UNFCCC, Rachmat Witoelar, told the conference he spoke for everyone "giving a sigh of relief" on Australia's change of position.

After the initial reaction, Witoelar invited delegates to offer a second round of applause, which they enthusiastically did. Some delegates even rose to their feet.

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A-G focuses on justice, whaling, climate

http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking-news/ag-focuses-on-justice-whaling-climate/2007/12/03/1196530547824.html

Robert McClelland on his first day as the country's new attorney-general says whaling and climate change are high on his list of issues.

Global warming pact set for 2009 after US backs down

http://news.smh.com.au/global-warming-pact-set-for-2009-after-us-backs-down/20071215-1h99.html

World climate negotiators set a 2009 deadline Saturday for a landmark treaty to fight global warming after two weeks of intense haggling led to a climbdown by an isolated United States.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who flew to the Indonesian island of Bali for a late appeal for flexibility, praised the deal as a "pivotal first step" to confront climate change, "the defining challenge of our time."

Following gruelling all-night talks, the conference of 190 nations finally launched a process to negotiate a new treaty for when the UN Kyoto Protocol's commitments expire in 2012.

The United States, the only major industrialised nation to reject the Kyoto treaty, reached a compromise with the European Union to avoid mentioning any figures as a target for slashing greenhouse gas emissions.

The deal instead only makes an indirect reference to scientists' warnings that the world must sharply cut back its emissions to prevent what could be a catastrophic rise in temperatures.

The senior US negotiator, Paula Dobriansky, said she had heard "many strong statements from many major developing country leaders on a greater role in helping to address urgently this global problem."

Dobriansky was loudly booed by other delegations, and a US environmental activist representing Papua New Guinea said to rousing cheers: "If you're not willing to lead, please get out of the way."

After repeated verbal lashings, Dobriansky again took the microphone and said that Washington would "go forward and join consensus," to the cheers of the conference.

However, Washington later said in a statement that it had "serious concerns" about the deal, including the role of major developing countries in cutting greenhouse gases.

Bali achieves hope for new climate pact

http://news.smh.com.au/bali-achieves-hope-for-new-climate-pact/20071215-1h8e.html

Developed countries have agreed to negotiate slashing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 40 per cent over the next decade in a last-gasp decision at the Bali climate change conference.

To applause from delegates, Australian negotiators "strongly supported" the controversial proposal for cuts of between 25 and 40 per cent by 2020 - leading to its adoption by consensus by the conference.

The conference adopted a roadmap for further negotiations on slashing greenhouse gas emissions, but it fell short of adopting specific targets, referring only to scientific studies that cite the need for cuts in the 25 to 40 per cent range.

Although the AWG decision does not set a binding target, it commits developed nations to negotiate appropriate targets within the 25 to 40 per cent range in the two-year post-Kyoto Protocol talks, agreed to by all countries.

Environmental groups were overjoyed at the breakthrough, which for the first time sets a goal for short-term emissions reductions for all developed nations, including Australia and the United States.

"It's great to see Australia changing its position and starting to take a more progressive role in international climate negotiations," Greenpeace campaign director Steve Campbell said.

UN to approve forest protection

http://news.smh.com.au/un-to-approve-forest-protection/20071215-1h9z.html

Delegates at the UN climate conference have agreed to include forest conservation in any future discussions about a new global warming pact, paving the way for billions of dollars in new spending to attack illegal logging.

With deforestation making up 20 per cent of global emissions, world governments are desperate to find a solution to a problem that has been fuelled by rising demand for timber and palm oil, widespread corruption and endemic poverty.

The concept to be called Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, or REDD, will aim to pay mostly developing countries in the tropics enough money to keep their trees in the ground - and thus continue to absorb carbon - rather than allowing them to be chopped down for a profit.

The agreement, which will be included in a roadmap for negotiations on a successor accord to the Kyoto Protocol, is "a good balance between different countries' views", EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said on Friday.

"It is one of the substantial achievements of this conference."

Saving tropical rainforests, especially in the Amazon, Indonesia and Congo basin in Africa, has been marked by a series of failures over the past three decades.

About 13 million hectares of forest each year are lost to logging, agriculture and other activities, according to the World Bank.

Most of the world saw Australia, Canada, Russia and Japan as being on the US's side, trying to hold things up, with the EU and poorer countries leading. The PNG rep is widely credited with pushing the US into concession.

http://news.smh.com.au/japan-to-back-global-warming-targets/20071230-1jj4.html

Japan will reportedly accept numerical targets to cut global warming emissions in a new climate change pact, reversing its stance which came under fire at this month's UN-led talks over the deal.

The Mainichi Shimbun said Japan plans to present a proposal to divide nations into not only developed and developing countries, but also into a third group, that would include China and India, and set targets for each group.

Japan will also set up a five-year, $US10 billion ($A11.4 billion) "finance mechanism" to back up developing nations' efforts to tackle global warming with low-interest loans, the paper said.

At talks in Bali this month, nations agreed on a two-year "roadmap" to adopt a new treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, the main existing plan for combating global warming, beyond 2012.

But it did not include a European Union-backed emissions cut target, which Japan, along with the United States, had rejected to the criticism of environmentalists.