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Brisbane: A day after sweeping the elections, Australia’s new prime minister Kevin Rudd made climate change his top priority on Sunday, seeking advice on ratifying the Kyoto deal.
The Mandarin-speaking Rudd said he wants to ratify the Kyoto Protocol capping greenhouse gas emissions, which he says he discussed with the UK’s Gordon Brown.
Rudd also pledged unity at home and an end to controversial offshore detention of illegal immigrants.
Rudd is expected to forge closer ties with China and other Asian nations and has said he wants a more independent voice in foreign policy.
"I emphasised to President Bush the centrality of the US alliance in our approach to foreign policy," Rudd said.
The prime minister said he is visiting Washington early next year. He did not say when he planned to start a promised withdrawal of 500 Australian combat troops from Iraq.
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