Asia-Pacific News
Australia's Howard out after 33 years
Dec 1, 2007, 1:33 GMT
Sydney - The Labor Party's Maxine McKew on Saturday claimed the Sydney seat of Bennelong that Australian Prime Minister John Howard had held for 33 years.
'I can formally say that Bennelong is now a Labor seat for the first time,' McKew, a former television presenter, said.
Howard, whose Liberal-led coalition was turfed out of government by Kevin Rudd's Labor in the November 24 general election, is the first prime minister to have lost his seat since Stanley Bruce suffered that indignity in 1929.
It's the first time Bennelong has been out of Liberal hands since it was established in 1949.
Howard, who conceded he had lost government just hours after the polls closed last Saturday, had been prime minister since 1996.
Rudd's Labor government will be sworn in Monday.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
God bless John Howard, I do feel sorry for the way he has gone out. He lead this country for nearly 12 years, and they were the best 12 years this country has ever endured. Good luck Mr Howard, have a holiday.
Bye John, you should have remembered the old adage:
'You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.'
It must be quite apparent that Maxine McKew, a person of no consequence in the political sphere, has gained a seat by foul means, probably with the collusion of the Australian Electoral Commission. It is not credible that a solid Liberal seat could possibly fall to Labor on past experience, certainly not to such an interloper. This is not democracy at work: there is something rotten here which is not surprising as that is so often the case where anyone from the ABC is concerned.
Well John, you gave it your best shot and I sincerely thank you.
For those who voted labor, some advise from an oldie. Watch, look and listen, it will come back to bite you. That is just labor party history. The chances of this NOT happening are extremely slim.
Lee
Jindalee, QLD.
HUBRIS (sometimes spelled Hybris):
The Greek term hubris is difficult to translate directly into English. It is a negative term implying both arrogant, excessive self-pride or self-confidence, and also a hamartia, a lack of some important perception or insight due to pride in one's abilities.
It is the opposite of the Greek term arête, which implies a humble and constant striving for perfection and self-improvement combined with a realistic awareness that such perfection cannot be reached. A
s long as an individual strives to do and be the best, that individual has arête. As soon as the individual believes he has actually achieved arête, however, he or she has lost that exalted state and fallen into hubris, unable to recognize personal limitations or the humble need to improve constantly. This leads to overwhelming pride, and this in turn leads to a downfall.
page: 1
A honest opinionDec 1st, 2007 - 03:24:48
What a way to go ....that's what happens when power goes to a persons head,they think they are above God!Nice ending John I bet your not happy now.
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