SYDNEY — A conservative coalition that has governed Australia for over a decade under Prime Minister John Howard faces a severe test ahead of next week's national election.
Canberra pundits are already reading the tea leaves to discern how the country would fare under Kevin Rudd as a Labor prime minister. Optimistic readings suggest a Rudd government would stay clear of the exciting promises of past Labor high-flyers Gough Whitlam, Bob Hawke and Paul Keating. Rather, it may well try to copy the conservatives' line that has given Australia unprecedented prosperity.
And there's the rub. Australians are enjoying good times. Any change in Canberra should, voter opinion polls suggest, merely replace old faces with younger ones so that the happy days go on. At least that's the line the Rudd minders have been sticking to through this six-week election campaign.