The election of the new Rudd government has aroused expectations of hope and for change amongst many sections of the community. There was a widespread feeling that the Howard government had lost touch and become very tired; it was pursuing policy initiatives that lacked depth.

The fact that the old prime minister himself lost his own Benelong seat in Sydney further emphasised how firm the desire for change had become. Amongst various factors, he paid the price many years down the track, for his stand on Asian immigration in the 1990s.