VOA常速英语2007年-Australian Election Campaign Enters Final Stage

By Phil Mercer
Sydney
14 November 2007

Both major parties in Australia's federal election officially launched their campaigns this week. The government of conservative Prime Minister John Howard is promising¹ voters massive tax cuts if it wins the November 24 election. Australia's opposition² Labor³ party, which is well ahead in the opinion polls, has made education reform one of its key election pledges. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

The Howard government is presenting itself to voters as a group of experienced politicians that Australians can rely on.

Its campaign for a fifth consecutive⁴ term in office is built around one word - trust.

Prime Minister John Howard insists his team has the ability to guide Australia's growing economy into the future and has the expertise⁵ to deal responsibly with issues surrounding climate change, as well as national security.

Like most elections, this one will be decided⁶ by domestic issues. Health, education and taxes are key battlegrounds.

Launching his coalition⁷ government's re-election campaign in Brisbane, Mr. Howard told voters he has big plans for Australia's future.

"And I want to tell you why I believe the coalition should be returned. I want to tell you why I want to be prime minister of this country again," he said. "I want to share with you my hopes and my dreams for a better future. And in the process, I hope, crystallize very clearly the important choice that must be made on the 24th of November."

Mr. Howard has been Prime Minister since 1996.

Television advertisements by the opposition Labor party urge Australians to vote for change at the ballot⁸ box.

Labor says, after so long in power, the Howard government has run out of steam.

Labor leader Kevin Rudd, a former diplomat⁹, has promised to ratify¹⁰ the Kyoto Protocol¹¹ on climate change if he wins the election. Mr. Howard has refused, saying the treaty would damage Australia's economy.

Rudd has made education a key part of his election campaign and is promising to improve training for young workers, as well as guaranteeing primary school students access to high-speed Internet and computers.

"I've been talking about an education revolution all year," he said. "Labor has placed education on the national political agenda. I don't care whether schools are government owned or non-government. What I am concerned about is the quality of education provided through those schools and their physical assets, infrastructure¹² and the training of their teachers."

Rudd, who's campaigned under the slogan 'New Leadership', has a sizable lead in opinion polls as he has for the past year.

Many Australian voters appear to be warming to him.

"I supported John Howard last time but he's been there for 11 years. He is getting older. Kevin Rudd seems to me to be energetic, enthusiastic and I quite like what I see with Kevin," he said.

Other voters, however, believe Kevin Rudd simply doesn't have the experience to manage a prosperous country.

"Here we have a new leadership issue again, and I'm yet to be convinced that in fact he's got enough experience to control the Senate and the front bench that he will have," another voter said.

The campaign is approaching its final week and Marise Payne, a government member of the Senate - Australia's upper house of parliament - believes John Howard's economic record should be enough to secure victory, even though rising interest rates are putting greater pressure on homeowners.

"The interest rate rise is a matter which is of concern to Australian families.," she said. "There are pressures that they're facing and one of the reasons that we progressed very early in the campaign with family tax cuts was to acknowledge those, so the most important things that we are trying to do is trying to ensure that we are managing the economy with the treasurer¹³ and the prime minister at the helm as they have been so responsibly over the last 11 years."

Malaysian-born Labor Senator Penny Wong says voters will have a clear choice on November 24 and says her party has shown it has the vision to improve Australia.

"There are very clear policy differences between the parties," she said. "There are very different approaches to how we should deal with things such as the skills shortages, the sorts of policy we need to ensure that Australian children have the skills they need for the jobs for the future. A very different approach from health from a Howard government, who's reduced funding to our public hospitals. Very different approach on workplace relations."

Both parties have offered voters multi-billion dollar tax cuts, but there are many differences between them when it comes to defense¹⁴ and national security. Labor opposes Australia's involvement in Iraq. It has promised a staged-withdrawal from the Persian Gulf¹⁵ if it wins office, while the conservatives insist the 1500 troops will stay as long as they are needed. Both parties, though, support the U.S.-led campaign in Afghanistan and see close military and economic ties with the United States as fundamental to Australia's long-term security.

1 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

4 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

5 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

8 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

9 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

10 ratify   

v.批准，认可，追认

参考例句：

• The heads of two governments met to ratify the peace treaty.两国政府首脑会晤批准和平条约。
• The agreement have to be ratify by the board.该协议必须由董事会批准。

11 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

12 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

13 treasurer   

n.司库，财务主管

参考例句：

• Mr. Smith was succeeded by Mrs.Jones as treasurer.琼斯夫人继史密斯先生任会计。
• The treasurer was arrested for trying to manipulate the company's financial records.财务主管由于试图窜改公司财政帐目而被拘留。

14 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

15 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。