Australian PM Congratulates New Zealand’s New Leader

There is a new leader in charge of New Zealand for the first time in nine years:

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd has congratulated New Zealand National Party leader John Key on his election victory and invited him for a state visit.

The centre-right Nationals swept to victory in general elections held yesterday, winning 59 seats in the 122-seat Parliament, and ending nine years of Labour rule under Helen Clark.

The Australian Prime Minister said he telephoned Mr Key last night to congratulate him on “a fine win for himself and his party”.

“I’ve also invited John to visit Australia at the earliest opportunity for him to undertake an official state visit,” Mr Rudd said in Canberra.

“I think that would be a great opportunity to begin this new period in the relationship.”

The trans-Tasman leaders took a fresh commitment to work together, Mr Rudd said.

He did not appear to lament the loss by the NZ Labour party, saying the relationship between Australia and New Zealand was strong and beyond party politics.  [AFP]

The fact that a center right government is now in charge in New Zealand does not surprise me at all.  When I was in New Zealand I met plenty of kiwis that were very upset with the prior government under Helen Clark because of out of control government spending on welfare programs and the poor state of the nation’s health care system.  Now you throw in the global economic crisis and that pretty much explains why she was blown out in the polls.