Australia refused to ratify Kyoto because Howard refused to allow it. He was originally a global warming skeptic. Then he switched his argument to economics - that Australia only pollutes 1% of the global total and the economic effect of signing Kyoto was disproportionately high. My feeling was that it was to back Bush.
Howard was a very popular prime minister - the second longest serving one, at 11 and a half years in office - but he was a very polarising figure, and an unquestioning supporter of Bush.
On Iraq, I suspect there will now be a major policy shift and Australian troops will be brought home quickly.
