New PM Down Under

Via the BBC:  Australia election: Tony Abbott defeats Kevin Rudd

Australia’s opposition has crushed the governing Labor party in a general election that has returned the Liberal-National coalition to power for the first time in six years.

Early projections show Labor winning 55 seats compared with the coalition’s 91.

Liberal leader Tony Abbott said he looked forward to forming a competent and trustworthy government.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd earlier admitted defeat and said he would not stand again for the Labor leadership.

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Steven L. Taylor
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor of Political Science and a College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog). Follow Steven on Twitter