Looks like we've got a new prime minister. That would be Kevin Rudd - although I learned from the last couple of elections in the states not to call a winner until the court has spoken. Last night the Liberal Party spokespersons were taking care not to admit defeat or make concession speeches - holding out for every last vote to be counted.

Labor unions are still big here, and the Labor Party is big with the unions. So even though Mr. Rudd won the election on platforms such as global warming which appeal to all voters, deep down, you can hear the Labor Party leaders talking about how they've now got a 'mandate' to rewrite all the workplace agreement laws. This is no different than the states, where a republican victory is usually declared a mandate to change abortion or school prayer laws.

When I took my current job, I was offered a choice - either an individual contract or a collective contract. Taking the collective contract pretty much makes you a union member. I chose the individual contract. This choice is at the heart of the workplace agreement reform Labor's talking about. They really don't like the fact that individual contracts are offered as a choice and want to make joining the union more opt-out than opt-in. 

---

There was a big sign out front of the hardware store yesterday. Chook manure. Translated: chicken shit.

Over in Pakistan, things have gone in a somewhat predictable fashion. Since Musharraf stacked the Supreme Court with friendly faces, they've responded in kind and dropped all the challenges to his continued rule.

So it seems there is nothing standing in the way of him holding an election with himself as the only voter and declaring victory for himself. It's a done deal.

Back in Washington DC, you aren't likely to see any action against Musharraf, despite the peace treaty with the Taliban that he negotiated earlier this year. He's still acknowledged as an ally in the war against islam  on terror.

But the real reason that Washington is keeping quiet is purely self-serving. Pakistan has nukes - at least one or two. As long as they control the person in charge of the nukes, said nukes will stay out of the hands of islamic extremists. But as soon as you go about changing regimes and opening up the potential for political and social reforms, you open up the possibility of turmoil. If you've got turmoil, you don't know exactly what will happen to the nukes.

If we were able to step in and grab the bombs and spirit them away from Pakistan, you'd see Musharraf vanish from the world stage in a New York minute. There would be no further reason to keep him around.

CNN reports: 

... 

13-year-old in alleged teacher-student liaison is illegal immigrant

...

And this is important because ...?