(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-11-25 20:39

SYDNEY, Australia - Newly elected leader Kevin Rudd moved quickly Sunday to bring Australia into international talks on fighting global warming.

The emphatic victory for Rudd's Labor Party swings Australia toward the political left after almost 12 years of conservative rule, and puts it at odds with key security ally Washington on two crucial policy issues — Iraq and global warming.

Newly elected Prime Minister Kevin Rudd (L) gets a kiss from wife Therese Rein after Labour won the Federal election, Brisbane, November 24, 2007. Rudd claimed victory on Saturday in a national election, ending 11 years of conservative government. [Agencies]

The day after sweeping to power in general elections, Rudd went straight into work mode, holding meetings with government officials about the mechanics of signing the Kyoto Protocol on cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

He also took phone calls from foreign leaders highly relevant to Australia.

Britain, New Zealand and Indonesia noted that Rudd's election would boost international efforts to address climate change — ousted Prime Minister John Howard had refused to sign the Kyoto pact.

Malaysia's leader said Rudd's plan to pull Australia's 550 combat troops from Iraq would also improve the country's international standing, the Malaysian national news agency Bernama reported.

Rudd spoke by phone with President Bush late Saturday. Rudd declined to give details of the conversation, but said he plans to visit Washington next year.

The leaders agreed during the call that they looked forward to working together, said White House National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe.

Rudd, a Chinese-speaking former diplomat, also talked with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, accepting his invitation to attend a December UN meeting in Bali to map out the world's next steps against climate change.

On Sunday, at his first news conference, Rudd promised "action, and action now" on climate change and nominated education, health and a high-speed Internet network as other top priorities of his government. He said Labor lawmakers were due to meet on Thursday, and he hoped his Cabinet would be sworn in soon after that.

Rudd's election brought a sharp and mortifying end to the 11-year rule of Howard, Australia's second-longest serving leader and a strong ally of Bush. Howard also faces the possible embarrassment of losing his own district seat in Parliament — a fate suffered only once before by a sitting prime minister in 106 years of federal government.

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