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Kevin Rudd

 
Kevin Rudd

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Kevin Rudd



 
 
Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957) is the 26th and current Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia

The Prime Minister of Australia is the head of government of the Australia, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia....
 of Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
 and federal leader of the centre-left
Centre-left

The centre-left is a politics term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political party or organisations whose views stretch from the centrism to the left-wing on the Left-Right politics, excluding far left stances....
 Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party

The Australian Labor Party is an List of political parties in Australia.Known as the Australian Labor Party#Etymology for short, the party is the current governing party of Australia, since the Australian federal election, 2007....
 (ALP). Under Rudd's leadership, the Labor Party won the 2007 federal election on 24 November against the incumbent centre-right
Centre-right

The centre-right is a politics term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political party, or organisations whose views stretch from the centrism to the right-wing on the Left-Right politics, excluding far right stances....
 Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia

The Liberal Party of Australia is an List of political parties in Australia.Founded a year after the Australian federal election, 1943 to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office....
/National
National Party of Australia

The National Party of Australia is an List of political parties in Australia.Traditionally representing rural voters, it was originally called the Country Party, but adopted the name National Country Party in 1975 and changed to its present name in 1982....
 coalition
Coalition (Australia)

The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a pragmatic grouping of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition since 1922....
 government led by John Howard
John Howard

John Winston Howard, Order of Australia was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He is the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Robert Menzies....
 (see Howard Government
Howard Government

The Howard Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia for the 11 years that John Howard was Prime Minister of Australia....
). The Rudd Ministry
First Rudd Ministry

The First Rudd Ministry of the Rudd Government is the 65th List of Australian ministries. The ministry was sworn in on 3 December 2007 by the Governor-General of Australia Major-General Michael Jeffery....
 was sworn in by the Governor-General
Governor-General of Australia

The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia of the Monarchy of Australia . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth....
, Michael Jeffery
Michael Jeffery

Major General Philip Michael Jeffery, Order of Australia, Royal Victorian Order, Military Cross was the 24th Governor-General of Australia 2003–2008....
, on 3 December 2007.

was born in Nambour
Nambour, Queensland

Nambour is a town situated in south east Queensland, Australia, 101 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane. The town lies in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, where it is the capital, at the foot of the Blackall Range....
, Queensland
Queensland

Queensland is a States and territories of Australia of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south....
 and grew up on a dairy farm in nearby Eumundi
Eumundi, Queensland

Eumundi is a small town with 500 residents in the Sunshine Coast, Queensland hinterland in Queensland, Australia, 21 km south-west of Noosa Heads, Queensland and 118 km north of the state capital, Brisbane....
.






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Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957) is the 26th and current Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia

The Prime Minister of Australia is the head of government of the Australia, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia....
 of Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
 and federal leader of the centre-left
Centre-left

The centre-left is a politics term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political party or organisations whose views stretch from the centrism to the left-wing on the Left-Right politics, excluding far left stances....
 Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party

The Australian Labor Party is an List of political parties in Australia.Known as the Australian Labor Party#Etymology for short, the party is the current governing party of Australia, since the Australian federal election, 2007....
 (ALP). Under Rudd's leadership, the Labor Party won the 2007 federal election on 24 November against the incumbent centre-right
Centre-right

The centre-right is a politics term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political party, or organisations whose views stretch from the centrism to the right-wing on the Left-Right politics, excluding far right stances....
 Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia

The Liberal Party of Australia is an List of political parties in Australia.Founded a year after the Australian federal election, 1943 to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office....
/National
National Party of Australia

The National Party of Australia is an List of political parties in Australia.Traditionally representing rural voters, it was originally called the Country Party, but adopted the name National Country Party in 1975 and changed to its present name in 1982....
 coalition
Coalition (Australia)

The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a pragmatic grouping of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition since 1922....
 government led by John Howard
John Howard

John Winston Howard, Order of Australia was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He is the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Robert Menzies....
 (see Howard Government
Howard Government

The Howard Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia for the 11 years that John Howard was Prime Minister of Australia....
). The Rudd Ministry
First Rudd Ministry

The First Rudd Ministry of the Rudd Government is the 65th List of Australian ministries. The ministry was sworn in on 3 December 2007 by the Governor-General of Australia Major-General Michael Jeffery....
 was sworn in by the Governor-General
Governor-General of Australia

The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia of the Monarchy of Australia . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth....
, Michael Jeffery
Michael Jeffery

Major General Philip Michael Jeffery, Order of Australia, Royal Victorian Order, Military Cross was the 24th Governor-General of Australia 2003–2008....
, on 3 December 2007.

Early life

Rudd was born in Nambour
Nambour, Queensland

Nambour is a town situated in south east Queensland, Australia, 101 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane. The town lies in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, where it is the capital, at the foot of the Blackall Range....
, Queensland
Queensland

Queensland is a States and territories of Australia of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south....
 and grew up on a dairy farm in nearby Eumundi
Eumundi, Queensland

Eumundi is a small town with 500 residents in the Sunshine Coast, Queensland hinterland in Queensland, Australia, 21 km south-west of Noosa Heads, Queensland and 118 km north of the state capital, Brisbane....
. Farm life, which required the use of horses and guns, is where he developed his life-long love of horse riding and shooting clay targets. His father, a share farmer and Country Party
National Party of Australia

The National Party of Australia is an List of political parties in Australia.Traditionally representing rural voters, it was originally called the Country Party, but adopted the name National Country Party in 1975 and changed to its present name in 1982....
 member, died when Rudd was 11 and the family was compelled to leave the farm under hardship. Rudd joined the Australian Labor Party in 1972 at the age of 15. He boarded at Marist College Ashgrove
Marist College Ashgrove

Marist College Ashgrove is a Roman Catholic Day school and boarding school for boys, located in Ashgrove, Queensland, a northern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Queensland, Australia....
 in Brisbane
Brisbane

Brisbane is the state List of Australian capital cities of Queensland and its most populous city. It is also the List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, behind southern rivals Sydney and Melbourne....
 and was dux
Dux

Dux is Latin for leader and for duke, and in Ancient Rome could refer to anyone who commanded troops, such as tribal leaders....
 of Nambour State High School
Nambour State High School

Nambour State High School is a co-educational, Queensland State High Schools high school located in Nambour, Queensland, Queensland, Australia....
 in 1974.

Rudd studied at the Australian National University
Australian National University

The Australian National University, commonly abbreviated to ANU, is a Public university research university located in Canberra, Australia, the Federal capital city....
 in Canberra
Canberra

Canberra is the List of Australian capital cities of Australia. With a population of over 340,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth largest Australian city overall....
 where he resided at Burgmann College
Burgmann College

Burgmann College is a residential college affiliated with the Australian National University in Canberra. Established in 1971, it is the only Australian college to combine undergraduate accommodation with a substantial postgraduate student body....
 and graduated with First Class Honours in Arts (Asian Studies). He majored in Chinese language
Chinese language

Chinese or the Sinitic language is a language family consisting of language mutually unintelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the two branches of Sino-Tibetan languages of languages....
 and Chinese history
History of China

China civilization originated in various city-states along the Yellow River valley in the Neolithic era. The written history of China begins with the Shang Dynasty ....
, became proficient in Mandarin
Standard Mandarin

Standard Mandarin, or Standard Chinese, is the official modern Spoken Chinese used in People's Republic of China and Republic of China, and is one of the four official languages of Languages of Singapore....
 and acquired a Chinese alias, Lù Kèwén ( or in ).

Rudd's thesis on Chinese democracy activist Wei Jingsheng
Wei Jingsheng

Wei Jingsheng is an activist in the Chinese democracy movement, most prominent for authoring the document Fifth Modernization on the "Democracy Wall" in Beijing in 1978....
 was supervised by Pierre Ryckmans
Pierre Ryckmans

Pierre Ryckmans , who also uses the pen-name Simon Leys, is a writer, sinologist, essayist and literary critic.He studied law at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven , Chinese language, literature and art in Taiwan....
, the eminent Belgian-Australian Sinologist. During his studies Rudd cleaned the house of political commentator Laurie Oakes
Laurie Oakes

Laurie Oakes is an Australian political journalist and commentator. For much of the past 40 years he has covered the Parliament of Australia in the Canberra Press Gallery, covering every Elections in Australia since 1966....
 to earn money. In 1980 he continued his Chinese studies at the Mandarin Training Center
Mandarin Training Center

Mandarin Training Center is one of the world's oldest and most distinguished programs for Chinese language study. It isrun by National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, Taiwan....
 of National Taiwan Normal University
National Taiwan Normal University

National Taiwan Normal University is an institution of higher learning operating on three campuses in Taipei, Taiwan.NTNU is widely recognized as one of Taiwan's elite institutions of higher education....
 in Taipei
Taipei

Taipei has been the de facto capital of the Republic of China, commonly known as Taiwan, since the Chinese Civil War in 1949, and the capital of Taiwan since Japanese rule that began in 1895....
, Taiwan
Taiwan

Taiwan is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the country governed by the Republic of China and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island, Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands...
, Republic of China
Republic of China

The Republic of China , also known as Nationalist China is a country in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition into a multi-party democratic state with Political status of Taiwan....
. Delivering the annual Gough Whitlam
Gough Whitlam

'Edward Gough Whitlam', Order of Australia, Queens Counsel , known as 'Gough Whitlam' , is an Australian former politician and 21st Prime Minister of Australia....
 Lecture at Sydney University on "The Reforming Centre of Australian Politics" in 2008, Rudd praised the former Labor Prime Minister for implementing educational reforms, saying he was:

... a kid who lived Gough Whitlam's dream that every child should have a desk with a lamp on it where he or she could study. A kid whose mum told him after the 1972 election
Australian federal election, 1972

Federal elections were held in Australia on 2 December 1972. All 125 seats in the Australian House of Representatives were up for election. The Liberal Party of Australia had been in power since 1949, under Prime Minister of Australia William McMahon since March 1971 with Coalition partner the National Country Party led by Doug Anthony, but...
 that it might just now be possible for the likes of him to go to university. A kid from the country of no particular means and of no political pedigree who could therefore dream that one day he could make a contribution to our national political life.


In 1981, Rudd married Thérèse Rein
Thérèse Rein

Th?r?se Rein is an Australian businesswoman and the wife of the 26th Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd. She is the founder of the Australian employment agency Ingeus, and the first Australian Prime Minister's wife to remain in the paid workforce while her husband is in office....
 whom he had met at a gathering of the Australian Student Christian Movement
Australian Student Christian Movement

The Australian Student Christian Movement is a Christianity group with an Christian ecumenism focus working with University students.ASCM fosters Liberal Christianity and progressivism religious and social views and has been associated with the social gospel, Christian socialism and environmentalist movements and is generally part of the C...
 during his university years. They have three children: Jessica (born 1984), Nicholas (born 1986) and Marcus (born 1993).

Entry into politics

In 1981 Rudd joined the Department of Foreign Affairs
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is a department of the government of Australia charged with advancing the interests of Australia and its citizens internationally....
, where he served until 1988. He and his wife spent most of the 1980s overseas posted at the Australian embassies in Stockholm
Stockholm

is the capital and largest city of Sweden. It is the site of the national Swedish Government of Sweden, the Parliament of Sweden, and the official residence of the Swedish Monarchy of Sweden....
, Sweden
Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....
 and later in Beijing
Beijing

is a metropolis in northern China and the Capital of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the four municipality of China, which are equivalent to province in China's Political divisions of China....
, People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China

The People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the List of countries by population in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately a fifth of the world's population....
.

Returning to Australia in 1988, he was appointed Chief of Staff to the Labor Opposition Leader in Queensland, Wayne Goss
Wayne Goss

Wayne Keith Goss was Premier of Queensland from 7 December, 1989 until 19 February, 1996. He was born at Mundubbera, Queensland and educated at Inala, Queensland High School and the University of Queensland ....
. He became Chief of Staff to the Premier
Premiers of Queensland

Before the 1890s, there was no developed party system in Queensland. Political affiliation labels before that time indicate a general tendency only. Before the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, political parties were more akin to parliamentary factions, and were fluid, informal and disorganised by modern standards....
 when the Labor Party won office in 1989, a position he held until 1992, when Goss appointed him Director-General of the Office of Cabinet. In this position Rudd was arguably Queensland's most powerful bureaucrat. In this role he presided over a number of reforms including development of a national program for teaching foreign languages in schools. Rudd was influential in both promoting a policy of developing an Asian languages and cultures program which was unanimously accepted by the Council of Australian Governments
Council of Australian Governments

The Council of Australian Governments is an organisation consisting of the Government of Australia, the governments of the States and territories of Australia and the Australian Local Government Association....
 (COAG) in 1992 and later chaired a high level Working Group which provided the foundation of the strategy in its report, which is frequently cited as "the Rudd Report".

During this time he underwent a cardiac valve transplant operation (Ross procedure
Ross procedure

The Ross procedure is a cardiac surgery operation where a diseased aortic valve is replaced with the person's own pulmonary valve. A pulmonary homograft is then used to replace the patient's own pulmonary valve....
), receiving a cadaver
Cadaver

A cadaver is a dead human body.Cadaver may also refer to:* Cadaver tomb, tomb featuring an effigy in the form of a decomposing body* Cadaver , a video game...
ic aortic valve replacement
Aortic valve replacement

Aortic valve replacement is a cardiac surgery procedure in which a patient's aortic valve is replaced by a different valve. The aortic valve can be affected by a range of diseases; the valve can either become leaky or partially blocked ....
 for rheumatic heart disease.

After the Goss government lost office in 1995, Rudd was hired as a Senior China Consultant by the accounting firm KPMG Australia
KPMG

KPMG is one of the largest professional services firms in the world. KPMG employs over 136,500 people in a global network of professional services firms spanning over 140 countries....
. He held this position while unsuccessfully contesting the federal seat of Griffith
Division of Griffith

The Division of Griffith is anDivisions of the Australian House of Representatives in Queensland.The division was created in 1934, when the old seat of Division of Oxley was abolished, and is named for Sir Samuel Griffith, 9th Premiers of Queensland and principal author of the Australian Constitution....
 at the 1996 federal election. He contested the seat again at the 1998 election and won.

Member of Parliament

Rudd made his first speech to the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives

The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house, the upper house being the Australian Senate....
 on 11 November 1998. His most publicised local cause was opposition to a suggested parallel runway at Brisbane Airport
Brisbane Airport

Brisbane Airport is the sole passenger airport serving Brisbane and the List of the busiest airports in Australia, after Sydney Airport and Melbourne Airport airports....
, against which he organised one of Brisbane's largest public demonstrations, receiving massive media coverage. His commitment to the issue reduced when the airport altered its plans with the support of Queensland premier Peter Beattie
Peter Beattie

Peter Douglas Beattie , Australian politician, was the Premiers of Queensland of the Australian state of Queensland for nine years and leader of the Australian Labor Party in that state for eleven and a half years....
, removing Rudd's constituency from projected flightpaths and, with the advice of the airport's 3PR
3PR

3PR was a Norwich based public relations consultancy which was founded in 1987 by Peter Phillips and closed in 1998. He went on to invent Australia TradeCoast in co-operation with Queensland Premier Peter Beattie, and cross swords with Kevin Rudd, now Australia's Prime Minister, over proposed development of Brisbane Airport....
 adviser, renaming it a "staggered" runway, rendering the Rudd campaign's widely distributed "No Parallel Runway" posters out-of-date. The development received legally binding permission to proceed in 2007 under the Howard Government
Howard Government

The Howard Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia for the 11 years that John Howard was Prime Minister of Australia....
.

Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs: 2001–2005

Rudd was promoted to the Opposition front bench following the 2001 election and appointed Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs. In 2002 he met with British intelligence and helped define the position Labor would take in regards to the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq

The 2003 invasion of Iraq, from March 20 to May 1, 2003, was spearheaded by the United States, backed by United Kingdom forces and smaller contingents from Australia, Spain, Poland and Denmark....
.

There is no debate or dispute as to whether Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction. He does. There's no dispute as whether he's in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. He is.


After the fall of Saddam he would criticise the Howard Government
Howard Government

The Howard Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia for the 11 years that John Howard was Prime Minister of Australia....
 over its support for the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, while maintaining Labor's position of support for the Australian-American alliance.

Well, what Secretary Powell and the US seems to have said is that he now has grave doubts about the accuracy of the case he put to the United Nations about the claim that Iraq possessed biological weapons laboratories - the so-called mobile trailers. And here in Australia, that formed also part of the government's argument on the war. I think what it does is it adds to the fabric of how the Australian people were misled about the reasons for going to war.


Rudd's policy experience and parliamentary performances during the Iraq war made him one of the better known members of the Labor front bench. When Opposition Leader Simon Crean
Simon Crean

Simon Findlay Crean is an Australian politician, and current Minister for Trade in the Australian Federal Government. He was leader of the Australian Labor Party and List of Australian Opposition Leaders at the Federal level, from November 2001 to 2 December 2003....
 was challenged by his predecessor Kim Beazley
Kim Beazley

Kim Christian Beazley, Order of Australia , son of Kim Edward Beazley, is an Australian politician and academic, who was Leader of the Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1996 to 2001 and from 2005 to 2006....
 in June, Rudd did not publicly commit himself to either candidate. When Crean finally resigned in late November, Rudd was considered a possible candidate for the Labor leadership, however, he announced that he would not run in the leadership ballot, and would instead vote for Kim Beazley.

Rudd was predicted by some commentators to be demoted or moved as a result of his support for Beazley following the election of Mark Latham
Mark Latham

Mark William Latham , a former Australian politician, was leader of the Federal Parliamentary Australian Labor Party and Opposition from December 2003 to January 2005....
 as Leader, but he retained his portfolio. Relations between Latham and Rudd deteriorated during 2004, especially after Latham made his pledge to withdraw all Australian forces from Iraq by Christmas 2004 without consulting Rudd. After Latham failed to win the October 2004 federal election, Rudd was again spoken of as a possible alternative leader. He retained his foreign affairs portfolio and disavowed any intention of challenging Latham.

When Latham suddenly resigned in January 2005, Rudd was visiting Indonesia
Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia , is a transcontinental country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Comprising Islands of Indonesia, it is the world's largest Archipelago state....
 and refused to say whether he would be a candidate for the Labor leadership. Such a candidacy would have required him to run against Beazley, his factional colleague. "The important thing for me to do is to consult with my colleagues in the party", he said. After returning from Indonesia, Rudd consulted with Labor MPs in Sydney and Melbourne and announced that he would not contest the leadership. Kim Beazley was subsequently elected leader.

In June 2005 Rudd was given expanded responsibilities as the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Security and, also, the Shadow Minister for Trade.

Leader of the Opposition

A November 2006 Newspoll opinion poll indicated voter support for Rudd was double that for Beazley. In December 2006, Beazley declared open
Leadership spill

In Australian politics, a leadership spill is a motion that the leadership of the parliamentary party be declared vacant, and be open for re-election....
 the positions of Leader and Deputy leader of the Labor Party
Australian Labor Party

The Australian Labor Party is an List of political parties in Australia.Known as the Australian Labor Party#Etymology for short, the party is the current governing party of Australia, since the Australian federal election, 2007....
, and Rudd announced his candidacy for the leadership. Fellow Labor MP Julia Gillard
Julia Gillard

Julia Eileen Gillard is the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and deputy leader of the federal Australian Labor Party .Julia Gillard has been an ALP member of the Australian House of Representatives since October 1998, representing the Division of Lalor, Victoria ....
 ran alongside Rudd for Deputy Leader against Jenny Macklin
Jenny Macklin

Jennifer Louise Macklin , is an Australian politician. She is Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs in the Rudd Government....
. The vote took place on 4 December 2006. Rudd was elected Leader with 49 votes to Beazley's 39, and Gillard was elected unopposed as Deputy Leader after Macklin withdrew from the ballot.

At his first press conference as leader, having thanked Beazley and former deputy leader Jenny Macklin, Rudd said he would offer a "new style of leadership", and would be an "alternative, not just an echo" of the Howard government. He outlined the areas of industrial relations, the war in Iraq
Iraq War

The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, is an ongoing conflicts military campaign which began on March 20, 2003 with the 2003 invasion of Iraq by a Multinational force in Iraq now led by and composed almost entirely of troops from the United States and United King...
, climate change
Climate change

Climate change is any long-term significant change in the expected patterns of average weather of a specific region over an appropriately significant period of time....
, Australian federalism, social justice, and the future of Australia's manufacturing industry as major policy concerns. Rudd also stressed his long experience in state government, as a diplomat and also in business before entering federal politics.

Rudd and the ALP soon overtook the government in both party and leadership polling. The new leader maintained a high media profile with major announcements on an "education revolution", federalism, climate change, a National Broadband Network
National Broadband Network

The National Broadband Network is a proposed Fiber to the x and/or Fiber to the x network in Australia. The Government of Australia has called for proposals to build an Open Access Network providing download speeds of 12 Data rate units#Megabit per second or more to at least 98% of Australian homes and businesses, for which it is offering...
 and the domestic car industry.

Since 2002, Rudd appeared regularly in interviews and topical discussions on the popular breakfast television program Sunrise
Sunrise (TV program)

Sunrise and Weekend Sunrise are Australian breakfast television programs, broadcast on Channel Seven. On weekdays the program follows Seven News#Seven Early News, and runs from 6am through to 9am....
, along with federal Liberal MP Joe Hockey
Joe Hockey

Joseph Benedict "Joe" Hockey , Australian politician, is the former Federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations , in the John Howard and the current Shadow Treasurer....
. This was credited with helping raise Rudd's public profile. Rudd and Hockey ended these appearances in April 2007 citing the increasing political pressures of an election year.

On 19 August 2007, it was revealed that Rudd, with New York Post
New York Post

The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continually as a daily, although -- like most other papers -- its publication has been interrupted by labor actions....
 editor Col Allan and Labor backbencher Warren Snowdon
Warren Snowdon

Warren Edward Snowdon is an Australian politician. He is an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives. He represented the Division of Northern Territory from July 1987 to March 1996, and from October 1998 to November 2001....
, had briefly visited a strip club
Scores (strip club)

Scores was a strip club in Manhattan, New York City, and was one of several Gentlemen's club which changed the face of adult entertainment in that city during the early 1990s and had gained wider notoriety and popularity mostly due to frequent mention by Howard Stern....
 in New York in September 2003. When he realised it was a strip club, he left. The incident generated a lot of media coverage, but made no impact on Rudd's popularity in the polls. Indeed, some people believe that the incident may have enabled Rudd to appear "more human" and lifted his popularity.

2007 election


Electoral writs
Writ of election

A writ of election is a writ issued by the government ordering the holding of a special election for a governmental office.In the United Kingdom and in Canada, this is the only way of holding an election for the House of Commons....
 were issued for an Australian federal election on 17 October 2007.

On 21 October 2007 Rudd presented strongly in a televised debate against incumbent prime minister John Howard.

On 14 November 2007, Kevin Rudd officially launched the ALP election campaign with a policy of fiscal restraint, usually considered the electoral strength of the opposing Liberal party. Rudd proposed Labor spending measures totalling $2.3 billion, contrasting them to $9.4 billion Rudd claimed the Liberals had promised, declaring: "Today, I am saying loud and clear that this sort of reckless spending must stop."

The election was held on 24 November 2007. Labor's win was coined a 'Ruddslide' by the media and was underpinned by the considerable support from Rudd's home state of Queensland
Queensland

Queensland is a States and territories of Australia of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south....
, with the state result
Australian federal election, 2007/State-by-state lower house results

The following tables show state-by-state results in the Australian House of Representatives at the Australian federal election, 2007, 83 Labor, 65 coalition , 2 independent....
 recording a two party preferred swing of 7.53 percent. The nationwide swing was 5.44 percent to Labor, the 3rd largest swing at a federal election since two party estimates began in 1949.

As foreshadowed during the election campaign, on 29 November Rudd directly chose his frontbench, breaking with more than a century of Labor tradition whereby the frontbench was chosen by party factions
Political faction

A political faction is a grouping of individuals, especially within a political organization, such as a political party, a trade union, or other group with a political purpose....
.

Prime Minister


On 3 December 2007, Rudd was sworn in as Prime Minister by the Governor-General
Governor-General of Australia

The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia of the Monarchy of Australia . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth....
, Major General Michael Jeffery
Michael Jeffery

Major General Philip Michael Jeffery, Order of Australia, Royal Victorian Order, Military Cross was the 24th Governor-General of Australia 2003–2008....
. Rudd is the first Prime Minister to make no mention of the Queen in his oath of office.

Kevin Rudd is only the second Queenslander to lead his party to a federal election victory, the first being Andrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher

Andrew Fisher was an Australian politician who served as Prime Minister of Australia on three separate occasions. Fisher's 1910-13 ministry completed a vast legislative programme which made him, along with Protectionist Party Alfred Deakin, the founder of the statutory structure of the new nation....
 almost a century earlier, in 1910 (although Fisher had first become Prime Minister in 1908 when the Alfred Deakin
Alfred Deakin

Alfred Deakin , Australian politician, was a leader of the movement for Australian federation and later second Prime Minister of Australia. In the last quarter of the nineteenth century, Deakin was a major contributor to the establishment of liberal reforms in the colony of Victoria , including the protection of rights at work....
 government resigned). Queenslanders Arthur Fadden
Arthur Fadden

Sir Arthur William Fadden, Order of St Michael and St George , Australian politician and 13th Prime Minister of Australia, born in Ingham, Queensland, the son of a Presbyterian police officer....
 (1941) and Frank Forde
Frank Forde

Francis Michael Forde was an Australian politician and the 15th Prime Minister of Australia.Born at Mitchell, Queensland , Forde was educated at St Mary's College ToowoombaRoman Catholic Church school and became a teacher....
 (1945) were also Prime Ministers, but only for a short period between elections - in Fadden's case the incumbent Robert Menzies
Robert Menzies

Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, Order of the Thistle, Order of Australia, Order of the Companions of Honour, Queen's Counsel , Australian politician, was the twelfth Prime Minister of Australia....
 resigned; in Forde's case the incumbent John Curtin
John Curtin

John Joseph Curtin , Australian politician and 14th Prime Minister of Australia, led Australia when the Australian mainland came under direct military threat during the Japanese advance in World War II....
 died. Rudd is also the first Prime Minister since World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
 not to come from either New South Wales or Victoria; the last were Curtin (Western Australia) and Forde (Queensland) in 1945.

In office, Rudd and the ALP government have been tremendously popular, setting records in Newspoll
Newspoll

Newspoll Market Research is an Australian company providing opinion polling and other market research services. Its chief executive is Martin O'Shannessy....
 polling

Environment

In opposition, Rudd called climate change "the greatest moral, economic and social challenge of our time" and called for a cut to greenhouse gas emissions by 60% before 2050. On 3 December 2007, as his first official act after being sworn in, Rudd signed the Kyoto Protocol
Kyoto Protocol

The Kyoto Protocol is a Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , an international environmental treaty produced at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development , informally known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 3–14 June 1992....
. Rudd stated that:
Australia's official declaration today that we will become a member of the Kyoto Protocol is a significant step forward in our country's efforts to fight climate change domestically - and with the international community.


On 15 December 2008, Rudd released a White Paper
White paper

A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that often addresses problems and how to solve them. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions....
 on reducing Australia's greenhouse gas emissions. The White Paper includes a plan to introduce an emissions trading scheme
Emissions trading

Emissions trading is an administration approach used to control pollution by providing economics incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants....
 in 2010 that is known as the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme
Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme

The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme is a cap-and-trade system of emissions trading for anthropogenic greenhouse gas, due to be introduced in Australia in 2010 by the Rudd government, as part of its climate change policy, marking a change in the Energy policy of Australia....
. The White Paper also incuded a target range for Australia's greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 of between 5% and 15% less than 2000 levels. The White Paper has attracted strong criticism from environmental groups and Australia's climate change advisor, Professor Ross Garnaut
Ross Garnaut

Dr Ross Garnaut Order of Australia BA , PhD is a professor of economics at the Australian National University.On 30 April 2007 the State and Territory Governments of Australia, at the request of Kevin Rudd, then leader of the Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition, appointed Professor Garnaut to examine the claimed impacts of...
. Garnaut criticised Australia's conditional 2020 emission targets for being too low, and also criticised the assistance measures for Australian emissions intensive industries.

Parliamentary apology to the "Stolen Generations"

As the parliament's first order of business, on 13 February 2008, Rudd read an apology directed to Indigenous Australians for the stolen generations. The apology, on behalf of successive parliaments and governments, passed unanimously as a motion by both houses of parliament, and was publicly well received; most criticisms were of Labor for refusing to provide victims with monetary compensation as recommended in the Bringing them Home report, and that the apology would not alleviate disadvantage amongst Indigenous Australians.Rudd pledged the government to bridging the gap between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australian health, education and living conditions, and in a way that respects their rights to self-determination.

Industrial relations

WorkChoices
WorkChoices

The Workplace Relations Act 1996, as amended by the Workplace Relations Amendment Act 2005, or WorkChoices, which came into effect in March 2006, was the most comprehensive change to industrial relations in Australia in over a century....
, the industrial relations regime introduced by the Howard government, is being overhauled. Rudd's 2007 policy included the phasing out of Australian Workplace Agreement
Australian Workplace Agreement

An Australian Workplace Agreement was an individual written agreement on terms and conditions of employment between an employer and employee in Australia, under the Workplace Relations Act 1996....
s over a period of up to five years, the establishment of a simpler awards system as a safety net, the restoration of unfair dismissal laws for companies with under 100 employees (probation period of 12 months for companies with less than 15 employees), and the retention of the Australian Building and Construction Commission until 2010. It retains the illegality of secondary boycotts, the right of employers to lock workers out, restriction of union right of entry to workplaces, and restrictions on workers' right to strike. Rudd also outlined the establishment of a single industrial relations bureaucracy called Fair Work Australia.

Some employers claim it puts the unions back on top, whilst some unions claim it to be "WorkChoices Lite". Some previous elements will be retained, however the most fundamental elements will be reversed.

Economy

The Rudd government initially announced a "five point plan" to combat inflation, a problem Rudd said was "inherited from the previous Coalition government", including new training places to target skills shortages in various sectors, and a "razor gang" to go through the budget looking for savings. The target surplus of the national Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product

File:GDP nominal per capita world map IMF 2008.pngThe gross domestic product or gross domestic income is one of the measures of national income and output for a given country's economy....
 was initially increased from 1.0 to 1.5 per cent. The government soon changed its economic strategy from fighting inflation to stimulatory spending. The spending increases, along with falling tax receipts cut the planned budget surplus.

The first budget of the Rudd government
2008 Australian federal budget

The 2008 to 2009 Federal Budget was released on 13 May 2008, with a particular emphasis on family Social welfare provision and Civil engineering funds, the Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Australia Wayne Swan selling it to the Australian House of Representatives as "a AUD55 billion Working Families Support Package" which "strengthens Aust...
, delivered by Treasurer Wayne Swan
Wayne Swan

Wayne Maxwell Swan is an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1993 to 1996, and again since 1998, representing the Division of Lilley, Queensland....
, saw spending cuts to "fight inflation", in response to the Global Financial Crisis
Late 2000s recession

File:2007-2009 World Financial Crisis.svgFile:800px-The Great Asset Bubble.jpgIn 2008-2009 much of the industrialized world entered into a deep recession....
. Spending in the budget, as a share of gross domestic product (GDP
Gross domestic product

File:GDP nominal per capita world map IMF 2008.pngThe gross domestic product or gross domestic income is one of the measures of national income and output for a given country's economy....
), was lower than at any time of the Howard government. The projected surplus of $21.7 billion, the highest since 1999, was higher than expected, at 1.8 percent of GDP. Promised tax cuts were delivered, and three major investment funds were established - the infrastructure fund, "Building Australia", received $20 billion. Labor further distanced itself from Howard's solar rebate scheme as "power engineering [and] instigating market signals [were not] considered" in deliberations, and the budget itself was presented in favour of wind energy. Education received $10 billion as part of Rudd's "education revolution", while health also received $10 billion.

As part of its response to the financial turmoil, the Rudd government announced in October 2008 that it would guarantee all bank deposits. A number of large non-bank lenders, including mortgage funds, subsequently froze billions of dollars worth of deposits as investors sought to transfer their funds to the now guaranteed bank deposits. The government subsequently announced a premium would be required for deposits over $1 million.

In the face of the significant slowdown demand and possible recession, the government announced an economic stimulus worth $10.4 billion. This included bonus lump sum payments to seniors, carers and families to be provided in December 2008. An increase in the first home buyer grant for established homes ($14,000) and for new homes ($21,000) until 30th June 2009, and $187 million to create new trading jobs. Other measures included $6 billion for boosting the automotive industry, and $300 million for local councils and shires to boost jobs and growth in local governments.

A second economic stimulus package worth $47 billion was announced in February 2009. It comprises $14.7 billion for schools, $6.6 billion for 20,000 new homes, $3.9 billion to insulate 2.7 million homes, $890 million for road repairs and infrastructure, $2.7 billion in small business tax breaks, and $12.7 billion for cash bonuses, including $950 for every Australian taxpayer who earned less than $80,000 during the 2007-8 financial year, to be paid in March and April 2009. It was announced on the same day that the Reserve Bank
Reserve Bank of Australia

File:Reserve Bank of Australia - Canberra.jpgThe Reserve Bank of Australia came into being on 14 January 1960 to operate as Australia's central bank and banknote issuing authority....
 cut official interest rates by 1 percent to 3.25 percent, the lowest since 1964. After taking in to the account the stimulus package, and an estimated reduction in tax receipts worth $115 billion over four years resulting from the economic downturn, the budget is projected to be $22.5 billion in deficit for the financial year. The package was welcomed by state governments and many economists, as well as the OECD
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is an international organization of 30 countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and free market economy....
. The opposition stated they believed further tax cuts on top of current tax cuts planned for each financial year over the next few years was a better way to prevent a recession. The Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Turnbull

Malcolm Bligh Turnbull is an Australian politician, the current Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Australia, and parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party of Australia, succeeding Brendan Nelson on 16 September 2008....
-led coalition
Coalition (Australia)

The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a pragmatic grouping of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition since 1922....
 indicated that it would oppose the package. After some amendments were made to garner support from minor parties and independents, including a $50 reduction in cash bonuses to fund investment in the environment and water, the economic stimulus package was successfully passed in the Senate on 13 February.

Iraq War

Plans are under way for the withdrawal of Australian military personnel from the Iraq War
Iraq War

The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, is an ongoing conflicts military campaign which began on March 20, 2003 with the 2003 invasion of Iraq by a Multinational force in Iraq now led by and composed almost entirely of troops from the United States and United King...
. In June 2008, Rudd ordered all 550 combat soldiers to return to Australia. This reduced Australian military personnel stationed in Iraq to number approximately 800, made up of diplomatic security personnel in Baghdad, sailors on board warships in the Persian Gulf, and Royal Australian Air Force crew. No final withdrawal date has been announced.

Australia 2020 Summit

In February 2008 he announced the Australia 2020 Summit
Australia 2020 Summit

The Australia 2020 Summit was a Convention , referred to in Australian media as a summit , which was held on 19 April-20 April 2008 in Canberra, Australia, aiming to "help shape a long term strategy for the nation's future"....
, held 19-20 April 2008, which brought together 1000 leading Australians to discuss ten areas the government saw as critical for Australia's future development.

Education

During the election, Rudd promised a "digital education revolution", including provision of a computer on the desk of every upper secondary student. The program initially stalled with state governments asserting that the proposed funding was inadequate. The federal government has increased proposed funding from $1.2 billion to $2 billion, and will not mandate that a computer must be provided to each upper secondary student. Negotiations with the states are continuing.

LGBT rights

In April 2008 the Rudd Labor government proposed greater recognition of LGBT rights in Australia by announcing reforms to the recognition of same-sex relationships in taxation, health, employment, superannuation, aged care and other areas. Originally, 58 Commonwealth laws where gay couples faced discrimination were identified in HREOC
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission

The Australian Human Rights Commission is a national independent statutory body of the Government of Australia. It has the responsibility for investigating alleged infringements under Australia?s anti-discrimination legislation....
's year-long inquiry, "Same-Sex: Same Entitlements Inquiry", which was tabled in Parliament in June 2007. A Rudd Labor government audit in early 2008 found around 100 Commonwealth laws where gay couples faced discrimination. These changes would not affect marriage, IVF access, and adoption rights. The last of the legislation to remove said discrimination passed the Senate in November 2008.

Immigration

Under the Rudd government, skilled immigration under the 457 visa
457 visa

The 457 visa is the most commonly used program for Australian or overseas employers to sponsor skilled overseas workers to work in Australia temporarily....
 will dramatically increase, in what the government says are attempts to relieve skills shortages, lift productivity and prevent an inflationary wages breakout. However, due to the Global Financial Crisis
Late 2000s recession

File:2007-2009 World Financial Crisis.svgFile:800px-The Great Asset Bubble.jpgIn 2008-2009 much of the industrialized world entered into a deep recession....
, the government has indicated that it may cut the number of immigrants allowed into the country if the global crisis raises unemployment levels.

In May 2008, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre said the Department of Immigration and Citizenship was rejecting asylum seeker applications at a higher rate than under the previous government, saying 41 of 42 applications had been rejected. The minister responsible, Chris Evans
Chris Evans (Australian politician)

Christopher Vaughan Evans , is an Australian politician and a member of the Australian Senate for the state of Western Australia, representing the Australian Labor Party....
, claims a denial rate of 77 percent, based on his acknowledgement that of a caseload of 730 appeals, he has intervened in 170.

Announced in July 2008, Labor proposed changes to mandatory detention
Mandatory detention in Australia

Mandatory detention in Australia concerns the Government of Australia's policy and system of mandatory detention active from 1992 to date, pursuant to which all persons entering the country without a valid visa are compulsorily detained and might be subject to deportation....
. Unauthorised arrivals in excised areas will still be subject to mandatory detention and processed offshore. However, unauthorised arrivals will have their cases reviewed every three months, be able to access legal advice and be able to apply for an independent review of adverse decisions. Children, and where possible their families, will not be detained. The process will be scrutinised by the Immigration Ombudsman.

Over the five months after the softening of immigration criteria, six illegal entry vessels were caught, prompting Border Protection Command
Border Protection Command (Australia)

The Australian Government's Border Protection Command is a multi-agency command which was established in 2005 to coordinate the protection of Australia?s offshore assets....
 to reinforce its patrols. However, Rudd claimed there was no surge in unauthorised vessels in 2008.

Political views


Economics

In his first speech to parliament, Rudd stated that:
Competitive markets are massive and generally efficient generators of economic wealth. They must therefore have a central place in the management of the economy. But markets sometimes fail, requiring direct government intervention through instruments such as industry policy. There are also areas where the public good dictates that there should be no market at all. We are not afraid of a vision in the Labor Party, but nor are we afraid of doing the hard policy yards necessary to turn that vision into reality. Parties of the Centre Left
Centre-left

The centre-left is a politics term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political party or organisations whose views stretch from the centrism to the left-wing on the Left-Right politics, excluding far left stances....
 around the world are wrestling with a similar challenge—the creation of a competitive economy while advancing the overriding imperative of a just society. Some call this the `third way
Third way (centrism)

The Third Way is a term that has been used to describe a variety of political philosophies of governance that embrace a mix of free market and Economic interventionism philosophies....
'. The nomenclature is unimportant. What is important is that it is a repudiation of Thatcherism and its Australian derivatives represented opposite. It is in fact a new formulation of the nation's economic and social imperatives.
Rudd is critical of free market economists such as Friedrich Hayek
Friedrich Hayek

Friedrich August von Hayek Order of the Companions of Honour was an Austrian economist and philosopher known throughout the world for his defense of classical liberalism and free market capitalism against socialism and collectivism thought....
, although Rudd describes himself as "basically a conservative when it comes to questions of public financial management", pointing to his slashing of public service jobs as a Queensland governmental advisor.

In The Longest Decade by George Megalogenis
George Megalogenis

George Megalogenis is an Australian journalist, political commentator and author.George is a senior feature writer for The Australian newspaper....
, Rudd reflected on his views of economic reform undertaken in the past couple of decades:
The Hawke and Keating governments delivered a massive program of economic reform, and they didn't shy away from taking on their own political base when they knew it was in the national interest. Think tariffs. Think cuts to the marginal tax rate. Think enterprise bargaining. Think how unpopular all of those were with the trade union movement of Australia. Mr Howard, on the other hand, never took on his own political base in the prosecution of any significant economic reform. His reform agenda never moved out of the ideological straitjacket of the 1970s and 1980s. Think industrial relations. Think consumption tax. And think also of the explosion in untargeted welfare... When the economic circumstances change, and the demands of a competitive economy change, Mr Howard never adjusted and never took the lead when it came to new ideas. Look at climate change. Look at infrastructure policy. Look at education policy. Look at early childhood education. There's a mountain of economic evidence about the importance of those policy domains to Australia's future.


In early 2009, in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis
Late 2000s recession

File:2007-2009 World Financial Crisis.svgFile:800px-The Great Asset Bubble.jpgIn 2008-2009 much of the industrialized world entered into a deep recession....
, Rudd stated "that the great neo-liberal experiment of the past 30 years has failed", and that "Neo-liberalism and the free-market fundamentalism it has produced has been revealed as little more than personal greed dressed up as an economic philosophy. And, ironically, it now falls to social democracy to prevent liberal capitalism from cannibalising itself." Rudd called for a new era of "social capitalism" from social democrats such as himself and President Obama to "support a global financial system that properly balances private incentive with public responsibility".

Nationhood and foreign policy

As shadow foreign minister, Rudd reformulated Labor's foreign policy in terms of "Three Pillars": engagement with the UN, engagement with Asia, and the US alliance.

Although disagreeing with the original commitment to the Iraq War
Iraq War

The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, is an ongoing conflicts military campaign which began on March 20, 2003 with the 2003 invasion of Iraq by a Multinational force in Iraq now led by and composed almost entirely of troops from the United States and United King...
, Rudd supports the continued deployment of Australian troops in Iraq
Iraq War

The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, is an ongoing conflicts military campaign which began on March 20, 2003 with the 2003 invasion of Iraq by a Multinational force in Iraq now led by and composed almost entirely of troops from the United States and United King...
, but not the continued deployment of combat troops. Rudd, in his role as shadow foreign minister had written a letter in November 2003 to Prime Minister John Howard offering policy ideas after the fall of Baghdad. Among his recommendations were a deployment of trainers for the New Iraqi army, and using the Australian Electoral Commission
Australian Electoral Commission

The Australian Electoral Commission, or the AEC, is the federal government agency in charge of organising and supervising federal elections and referendums....
 to help Iraq stage elections. However, Labor
Australian Labor Party

The Australian Labor Party is an List of political parties in Australia.Known as the Australian Labor Party#Etymology for short, the party is the current governing party of Australia, since the Australian federal election, 2007....
 pledged in 2007 to replace 550 existing combat troops with new troops serving training and border security roles (possibly stationed in other countries around the Middle East
Middle East

File:GreaterMiddleEast1.pngThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, western Asia, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East....
), with a continued presence of over 1,000 Australian troops stationed in Iraq (in 2007, there were 1,575 Australian military personnel operating within Iraq). Rudd is also in favour of Australia's military presence in Afghanistan
Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country that is located approximately in the center of Asia....
.

Rudd backs the road map for peace
Road map for peace

The "road map" for peace is a plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict proposed by a "Quartet for the Middle East" of international entities: the United States, the European Union, Russia, and the United Nations....
 plan and defended Israel's actions during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict

The 2006 Lebanon War, known in Lebanon as the July War and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War , was a 34-day war in Lebanon and northern Israel....
, condemning Hezbollah and Hamas for violating Israeli territory.

The Prime Minister also pledged support for East Timor stating that Australian troops will remain in East Timor
East Timor

East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro Island and Jaco , and Oecussi-Ambeno, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor....
 for as long as East Timor's government wants them to.

Rudd also gave his support for the independence of Kosovo
Kosovo

Kosovo is a disputed region in the Balkans. Its majority is governed by the partially-recognised Republic of Kosovo . Serbia does not recognise the secession of Kosovo and considers it a United Nations-governed entity within its sovereign territory, the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija that was re-created by Slobodan M...
 from Serbia
Serbia

Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a country in Central Europe and Balkans Europe, covering the southern part of the Pannonian Plain and the central part of the Balkans....
, before Australia officially recognised the republic. This decision sparked protests of the Serbian Australian
Serbian Australian

Serbian Australians are citizens of Australia who are of Serbs ancestry. According to the 2006 census, there are 95,364 people in Australia who are of Serbian ancestry....
 community against Rudd.

The question of Republicanism in Australia
Republicanism in Australia

Republicanism in Australia is a movement to change Australia's status as a constitutional monarchy to a republican form of government. Such sentiments have been expressed in Australia from before Federation of Australia onward to the present, wherein modern arguments focus on abolishing the Monarchy of Australia....
 was raised following the failed 1999 referendum
Australian republic referendum, 1999

The Australian republic referendum in 1999 was a two-question referendum held on 6 November 1999. The first question asked whether Australia should become a republic with a President appointed by Parliament of Australia, a Bi-partisan appointment republican model which had previously been decided at a Constitutional Convention in Febr...
, and although Rudd is a republican, he has indicated that no referendum will take place in the near future. In 2008 Rudd appointed Quentin Bryce
Quentin Bryce

Quentin Alice Louise Bryce, Order of Australia, Venerable Order of Saint John is the current Governor-General of Australia and a former Governors of Queensland....
 as the first female Governor-General of Australia
Governor-General of Australia

The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia of the Monarchy of Australia . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth....
.

Society and religion

Some commentators have described Rudd as a social conservative
Social conservatism

Social conservatism is a political or moral ideology that believes the government has a role in encouraging or enforcing traditional values or behaviors based on the belief that these are what keep people civilized and decent....
. While moving to remove financial discrimination against LGBT
LGBT

LGBT is an acronym and initialism referring collectively to Lesbian,Gay, Bisexuality, and Transgender people. In use since the 1990s, the term ?LGBT? is an adaptation of the initialism ?LGBT? which itself started replacing the phrase ?gay community? which many within LGBT communities felt did not represent accurately all those to which it...
 couples, he has remained opposed to same-sex marriage:
I have a pretty basic view on this, as reflected in the position adopted by our party, and that is, that marriage is between a man and a woman.


In a conscience vote
Conscience vote

A conscience vote or free vote is a type of vote in a legislature where legislators are each expected to vote according to their own personal conscience rather than according to an official line set down by their political party....
 in 2006, Rudd supported legislation to transfer regulatory authority for the abortion-inducing drug
Abortifacient

An abortifacient is a substance that induces abortion. Abortifacients for animals that have mating undesirably are known as mismating shots.Common abortifacients used in performing medical abortions include mifepristone, which is typically used in conjunction with misoprostol in a two-step approach....
 RU486
Mifepristone

Mifepristone is a synthetic steroid compound used as a Medication. It is used as an abortifacient in the first two months of pregnancy, and in smaller doses as an emergency contraception....
 from the federal Minister For Health to the Therapeutic Goods Administration
Therapeutic Goods Administration

The Therapeutic Goods Administration or TGA is the regulatory body for therapeutic goods in Australia. It is a Division of the Australian Department of Health and Ageing established under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 ....
, removing the minister's veto on the use of RU486 in Australia.

Rudd and his family attend the Anglican church of St John the Baptist in Bulimba in his electorate. Although raised a Roman Catholic, Rudd began attending Anglican
Anglicanism

Anglicanism is a tradition of Christianity faith. Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs, worship and church structures....
 services in the 1980s with his wife. Like John Howard, Rudd has addressed congregations of the Hillsong Church
Hillsong Church

Hillsong Church is a Pentecostalism Christianity church affiliated with Australian Christian Churches, the Australian branch of the Assemblies of God denomination....
.

"Personal faith also provides a compass point for my life. It also therefore helps shape the view I try to bring to the public space as well."


Rudd is the mainstay of the parliamentary prayer group
Parliamentary prayer group

The Parliamentary Christian Fellowship, also known as the Parliamentary prayer group, is a gathering of Christian politicians in the Australian parliament, who hold prayer sessions on Monday nights in Parliament House, Canberra....
 in Parliament House, Canberra
Parliament House, Canberra

File:Parliament House, Canberra.jpgParliament House is the meeting place of the Parliament of Australia. It is located in Canberra, the capital of Australia....
. He is vocal about his Christianity
Christianity

Christianity is a Monotheistic religion #Christian view religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as New Testament view on Jesus' life....
 and has given a number of prominent interviews to the Australian religious press on the topic. Rudd has defended church representatives engaging with policy debates, particularly with respect to WorkChoices
WorkChoices

The Workplace Relations Act 1996, as amended by the Workplace Relations Amendment Act 2005, or WorkChoices, which came into effect in March 2006, was the most comprehensive change to industrial relations in Australia in over a century....
 legislation, climate change
Climate change

Climate change is any long-term significant change in the expected patterns of average weather of a specific region over an appropriately significant period of time....
, global poverty, therapeutic cloning and asylum seekers. In an essay in The Monthly
The Monthly

The Monthly is an Australian national magazine of politics, society and the arts, which is published eleven times per year on a monthly basis excepting the December/January issue....
, he argued:
A [truly] Christian perspective on contemporary policy debates may not prevail. It must nonetheless be argued. And once heard, it must be weighed, together with other arguments from different philosophical traditions, in a fully contestable secular polity. A Christian perspective, informed by a social gospel or Christian socialist tradition, should not be rejected contemptuously by secular politicians as if these views are an unwelcome intrusion into the political sphere. If the churches are barred from participating in the great debates about the values that ultimately underpin our society, our economy and our polity, then we have reached a very strange place indeed.


He cites Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Germany Lutheran pastor, Theology, participant in the German Resistance movement against Nazism, and a founding member of the Confessing Church....
 as a personal inspiration in this regard.

In May 2008, Rudd was drawn into the controversy over photographic artist Bill Henson
Bill Henson

Bill Henson is an Australian contemporary art photographer....
 and his work depicting unclothed adolescents as part of a show due to open at an inner-city gallery in Sydney. In a televised interview, Rudd stated that he found the images "absolutely revolting" and that they had "no artistic merit". These views swiftly drew censure from members of the 'creative stream' who attended the recent 2020 Summit
Australia 2020 Summit

The Australia 2020 Summit was a Convention , referred to in Australian media as a summit , which was held on 19 April-20 April 2008 in Canberra, Australia, aiming to "help shape a long term strategy for the nation's future"....
 convened by Rudd, led by actor Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett

Catherine ?lise "Cate" Blanchett is an Australian Actor and theatre director. She has won multiple acting awards, most notably two Screen Actors Guild Awardss, two Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTAs, an Academy Award, as well as the Volpi Cup at 64th Venice International Film Festival....
.

See also

  • First Rudd Ministry
    First Rudd Ministry

    The First Rudd Ministry of the Rudd Government is the 65th List of Australian ministries. The ministry was sworn in on 3 December 2007 by the Governor-General of Australia Major-General Michael Jeffery....
  • Next Australian federal election
    Next Australian federal election

    The next Australian federal election will elect members of the 43rd Parliament of Australia and must be held on or before 16 April 2011. The election will be called following the dissolution or expiry of the current Parliament....
  • List of Prime Ministers of Queen Elizabeth II


External links



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