Howard Only Second Prime Minister in Australia's History to Lose Seat

Not only did John Howard's party get thrown from power, but it appears that Howard will also have the humiliation of being only the second second prime minister in Australia's history to be dumped from his own seat in Parliament as well. That's about the strongest repudiation one can receive. I can only hope that a similar humiliation awaits the GOP in the country come November 2008. The Sydney Daily Telegraph is reporting in part as follows (http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22820878-5001021,00.html):

LABOR'S new queen Maxine McKew woke up to a new government and went to mass with her mother Mary yesterday knowing her election prayers had most likely been answered. Her expected victory over John Howard in Bennelong was salt in the wound for the outgoing Prime Minister, in a devastating election loss. But the woman who is set to replace him in the Sydney seat was not rubbing in her predicted victory - instead celebrating the change of government behind closed doors.

As of last night, with 79 per cent of the ballot counted, Ms. McKew had increased her lead to 51.7 per cent of the vote to Mr Howard's 48.3 per cent on a two-party preferred basis. The result was still unclear by late yesterday but the Australian Electoral Commission was classifying Bennelong as a Labor win. If correct, Mr Howard will have achieved the dubious feat of being only the second prime minister in Australia's history to be dumped from his own seat, which has not happened since then prime minister Stanley Bruce was kicked out in 1929. About 5000 postal votes were last night yet to be counted, although in his election night speech Mr Howard said he doubted he had won.