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On Saturday night last one of the most conservative governments in the world, that of John Howard's Liberal Party in Australia, was ousted by a resurgent Labor Party, led by Kevin Rudd, now the prime minister elect, writes Vincent Browne.

Mr Rudd addressed his jubilant supporters in Brisbane and gave a flavour of what they and the rest of the world can expect from him. He said: "Australia has looked to the future. The Australian people have decided that we as a nation will move forward." He said he wished to put aside what he called old battles between employers and unions and developers and environmentalists. "The great Australian 'fair go' has a future and not a past." He would be prime minister for "all Australians".