PRIME MINISTER Sir Michael Somare has congratulated Australian Labour leader and prime minister-elect Kevin Rudd on his election victory.
In Uganda for the Commonwealth Heads of State summit, Sir Michael said the Australian people have spoken through the polls and he looked forward to meeting with Mr Rudd soon to establish some understanding on the way forward in our bilateral relations.
“PNG has had a close and fruitful association with the Australian Labour Party, dating back to former prime ministers Gough Whitlam, Bob Hawke and Paul Keating and I’m confident we will progress this even further under Mr Rudd’s leadership,” Sir Michael said in a statement.
Sir Michael also commended outgoing prime minister John Howard for the four terms he served his Australian people.
Meanwhile, Mr Rudd has vowed to tackle climate change and Iraq war policy, a day after sweeping Howard from power in a stunning election landslide.
Mr Rudd pledged to implement his campaign promises as a new era dawned for Australia after last Saturday’s poll ended nearly 12 years of conservative rule by US President George W Bush’s closest remaining ally in the war in Iraq.
Voters abandoned Howard, 68, who presided over a record economic boom and became Australia’s second longest-serving leader, in a humiliating drubbing in which he is also likely to suffer the indignity of losing his parliamentary seat of 33 years.
As the campaign hubris dissipated, Rudd, 50, said his centre-left Labour Party would immediately begin work on fulfilling campaign pledges, which included tackling global warming and withdrawing combat troops from Iraq.
In his first press conference as leader, he also reached out to Australia’s traditional allies, offered Bush an olive branch despite policy differences and called for unity at home following a bruising election campaign.