Australians sent longtime Prime Minister John Howard packing in Saturday’s general election.

It was a humiliating end to Howard’s eleven-year reign. Howard conceded defeat in remarks late Saturday night, admitting he would also likely lose the Parliament seat he’s held for 33 years. Labor’s Kevin Rudd will succeed Howard as Prime Minister.

Howard’s center-right coalition government was an ally of the Bush administration, closely echoing the U.S. president on Mideast policy and global warming. Rudd has pledged to more decisively address climate change issues than his predecessor, and is likely to begin a phased withdrawal of Australia’s 550 troops stationed in Iraq.

The Greens were another big winner in Saturday’s polling, picking up to 20 percent of the vote in some electorates.

Kevin Rudd speaks Chinese and is viewed as a foreign policy specialist. He’s expected to chart a nuanced course with Asia and the United States, Australia’s biggest trading partners.

Link: The Sydney Morning Herald