Australia Votes for Coalition Party’s Tony Abbott for Prime Minister

Victory Down Under: Australian conservatives oust left-wing government (Hot Air)

Why should Americans care that Tony Abbott’s conservative coalition struck a decisive blow against the shambolic Labor Party in Australia over the weekend?  I’ll give you three reasons:  (1) The defeat of Statists anywhere on the planet merits attention and applause.  (2) Two of the main issues used by the opposition to successfully bludgeon the ruling party were lax immigration enforcement and public anger over a proposed carbon tax.  Abbott’s new government now has a mandate to step up border security (vis-a-vis illegal boats from Asia), and kill the destructive carbon scheme.  (3) Labor went full-bore “war on women” against the Abbott & Co, and failed miserably.  Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s gender-based politics blew up in her face, deepening an ugly rift within her own party.  She was replaced as PM in a last-ditch coup by her predecessor, Kevin Rudd, whom she’d run out of power just a few years prior.  Rudd couldn’t right the ship, and the opposition prevailed.