Ruddslide deposes Howard in Australian election

A victory for Labor's Kevin Rudd has removed Australian leader John Howard after eleven years in office, with the media terming it a 'ruddslide'. Rudd won the vote with promises of signing up for the Kyoto treaty, and withdrawing combat troops from Iraq.

Paul Ham in the Sunday Times wrote that 'His victory was largely attributed to his ability to convince Australians that he is an economic conservative who will rein in public spending, unlike his profligate Labor predecessors. He persuaded the electorate that he would continue rather than undo Howard’s economic achievements: Little distinguishes Rudd from Howard in terms of economic management, and quoted Peter Hartcher, political editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, as considering that “Kevin Rudd is basically John Howard without the nasty bits.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article2937099.ece