Congratulations to Australia and their election of a new Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd. In what was certainly a rebuke to former Prime Minister John Howard's policies – both international and certainly domestic – it looks like the workplace may be the true winner in this election.
As the Herald Sun points out Australians just weren't prepared to accept weakened unions – one of the many unpopular aspects of the workplace laws that brought Australians into the streets en masse. These were the same policies that limited the right to strike and ended unfair dismissal laws.
Fortunately, democracy still works and it's always refreshing to see a reminder to political leaders of any stripe that forget that they represent the people and not their own agendas. With Mr Howard out of the way (indeed, he has lost his own seat), the Labor party may be set to go forward and undo some of the unnecessary damage caused in the Australian workplace.
While it is true to a degree that the election result included a resounding rejection of the repressive Workchoice legislation, don't be too quick to give the unions credit. Australians have voted with their feet and have left Australia's ineffectual unions in droves over the last decade. They are toothless tigers with an even greater need to rebuild and regain public confidence than the outgoing government.