Changes

During the 2007 election campaign, Rudd was accused of copying some of his policies (in particular economic policies) from his more conservative predecessor, John Howard, in a bid to win office, believing that the electorate found those policies appealing.  

During the 2007 election campaign, Rudd was accused of copying some of his policies (in particular economic policies) from his more conservative predecessor, John Howard, in a bid to win office, believing that the electorate found those policies appealing.  

The ALP won the election on 24 November 2007, and Rudd was soon affirmed as the leader of the parliamentary wing and therefore Prime Minister elect. The new federal Cabinet was sworn in by the [[Governor General of Australia]] on 3 December 2007. Among his first acts as Prime Minister was to ratify the [[Kyoto Protocol]], something Howard had refused to do.

The ALP won the election on 24 November 2007, and Rudd was soon affirmed as the leader of the parliamentary wing and therefore Prime Minister elect. The new federal Cabinet was sworn in by the [[Governor General of Australia]] on 3 December 2007.

 

 

Among Rudd's first acts as Prime Minister was to ratify the [[Kyoto Protocol]], something Howard had refused to do for economic reasons. Additionally, Rudd made a formal parliamentary apology to the "Stolen Generation", a large group of indigenous Australians who were forcibly removed from their community in the first half of the 20th century. While there is continued dispute among historians over whether the "Stolen Generation" existed, the Opposition gave its support to the apology. Polls taken since the election show the ALP holding a commanding lead in the polls under Rudd's leadership, with Rudd leading opposition leader Brendan Nelson by 70% to 9% in the "preferred Prime Minister" rating (leading the press to dub Nelson as "Mr. Nine Percent").<ref="ninepercent">[http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/mr-9-nelsons-parlous-poll-position/2008/02/19/1203190750515.html] Fairfax Digital, 19 February 2008, accessed 2 March 2008</ref>

==Personal life==

==Personal life==