Emil Welti vs Kevin Rudd

Emil Welti was elected to the Swiss Federal Council, the seven-member executive council governing Switzerland. He served as a Federal Councillor for over 25 years, representing the canton of Aargau and the Radical Party.

Welti served his first of six terms as President of the Swiss Confederation. The presidency rotates annually among Federal Councillors; Welti held the office in 1869, 1872, 1876, 1880, 1884, and 1891.

Welti negotiated the treaty with Italy and the German states for the construction of the Gotthard Railway through the Swiss Alps. The treaty secured Swiss sovereignty over the route and financing from foreign powers, completed in 1882.

As President and head of the Federal Department of Justice, Welti played a key role in the total revision of the Swiss Federal Constitution. The new constitution, adopted in 1874, centralized powers, introduced direct democracy through referendums, and unified civil law.

Welti resigned from the Federal Council after failing to secure approval for the nationalization of the Swiss railways. His resignation marked the end of his 25-year tenure, during which he had been a dominant figure in Swiss politics.

Rudd's government ratified the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, reversing the Howard government's refusal. This committed Australia to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, though targets were later criticized as insufficient.

Rudd's government implemented a $42 billion stimulus package in response to the Global Financial Crisis, including cash payments to households and infrastructure spending. Australia avoided recession, but the package increased national debt.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered a formal apology in Parliament to Indigenous Australians affected by the forced removal of children, known as the Stolen Generations. The apology was a landmark moment in reconciliation, though it did not include compensation.

Rudd's proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, a cap-and-trade system, was rejected by the Senate twice. The failure to pass climate legislation damaged his political standing and contributed to his removal as Labor leader in 2010.