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The article reports that the temporary protection visa (TPV) introduced by Australian Prime Minister John Howard on October 20, 1999, was repealed by the Australian Labor Party on August 9, 2008. Topics discussed include the 8503 condition of the new TPV that disallows people to apply for other visa, the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) or Convention on the Rights of the Child (CROC), and the unauthorised maritime arrival (UMA) with unauthorised air arrival (UAA).

The article reports on the 2007 federal election campaign in Australia, where Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd is mounting a serious challenge to the five-term conservative government of Prime Minister John Howard. Rudd, whose background in politics is discussed in some detail, has promised environmental reforms and a diversified energy policy.

The article discusses aspects of Australian political life in the summer of 2007. The piece is primarily a profile of Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd, providing details of his childhood, education and political actions and philosophy. Also addressed are the problems besetting the Liberal Party government of prime minister John Howard.

The article profiles Kevin Rudd, the leader of Australia's Labor Party. Labor is ahead by 14 percentage points in the polls, and has a promising shot at breaking John Howard and the Conservative's 11-year hold on Australian politics. Rudd has been attempting to appease the unions while being more business-friendly than Labor politicians traditionally have been. While popular with the public, this attempt has failed to win him strong favor with business or labor.

The article focuses on Mark Latham, leader of Australia's opposition Labor Party. Faced with an election by the end of 2004--and the prospect of Prime Minister John Howard winning a fourth term--Labor parliamentarians decided to ignore Mr Latham's colourful past and on December 2nd elected him to replace the lacklustre Simon Crean, whose public-approval ratings collapsed. Mr Latham is Labor's youngest leader in a century. Yet he also seems to be the party's best hope for overcoming the identity crisis that has plagued it since it lost power to Mr Howard's coalition almost eight years ago. Mr Latham is a champion of the market and individual enterprise and favours tax cuts for high earners. The job of government, he says, is "to help the people who are doing the right thing--the people who are getting stuck in, doing things the fair dinkum Australian way." He will push his ideas to make Australia an "upwardly mobile society", and boost health and education, where the Howard government is vulnerable. His biggest challenge will be to unite his party behind him before the election, whose timing is up to Mr Howard. The government coalition will try to exploit Mr Latham's inexperience and his inconsistencies on economic policy. But the new Labor leader is as formidable a communicator as Mr Howard, and every bit as adept at responding quickly to circumstances.

The article discusses the general elections to be held in Australia on November 24, 2007, and the prospects for Prime Minister John Howard, who has held power for 11 years but trails in opinion polls. Howard's main political opponent is Maxine McKew, a former television journalist, of the Labor Party. Australia's economic conditions and unemployment are discussed.

The article discusses the competition for Australia's premiership. Incumbent prime minister John Howard is seeking a fifth term for his conservative government, but opinion polls show that he is far behind the opposition Labor Party, and Labor's prime minister candidate, Kevin Rudd. Howard's slipping popularity may be tied to his support of U.S. President George W. Bush and the U.S. effort in Iraq. The article also discusses Howard's hosting of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation forum.

Reports on the 1998 federal election campaign and how a focus on the economy can help Prime Minister John Howard's government win. Their plan for economic reform in their tax package coinciding with an unstable period in the global economy; The Australian Labor Party's inability to engage in excessive expenditure promises; Government seen a vulnerable on unemployment; Labor's business policies. INSET: `Iberal' votes could make the difference.