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Australian voters reward John Howard's hard line

Australian Prime Minister John Howard and his conservative government won a third term yesterday in national elections dominated by Howard's hard-line stance against illegal immigration.

"I cannot express to you the sense of honor and privilege I feel once again being elected as prime minister of the greatest country in the world," Howard told cheering supporters at a Sydney hotel. "My resolve, my commitment, my dedication is to the service of the Australian people in the years ahead."

Howard's jubilant victory speech came shortly after Labor leader Kim Beazley conceded defeat and resigned.

"I have to concede defeat, we have lost this election, there is no doubt about that," Beazley told supporters in Perth, capital of Western Australia state.

With 80 percent of the vote counted, the Australian Broadcasting Corp's Web site said Howard's Liberal Party had won 67 seats and its junior coalition partner, the National Party, won 12 seats in the 150-seat lower house of Parliament. Labor won 65 seats, it said, based on Australian Electoral Commission figures.

"John Howard has now won three elections on the trot, one of the most successful prime ministers we have had in the postwar era and that is a remarkable result," said respected Liberal strategist Michael Kroger.

Former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke summed up the gloom that enveloped his party as the election results rolled in.

"I am more deeply disappointed than I have ever been in any election," he said.

Australia's 12.6 million registered voters were choosing lawmakers for all 150 seats in Parliament's lower house and 40 of the 76 Senate seats. Voting is compulsory and turnout usually is around 96 percent.

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