Kevin Rudd vs Yair Lapid

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.

Lapid founded the centrist Yesh Atid party, entering politics after a career as a journalist and TV host. The party focused on social and economic issues, including ending ultra-Orthodox military exemptions.

Lapid served as Minister of Finance from 2013 to 2014 under Prime Minister Netanyahu. He implemented economic reforms including tax cuts and housing measures, but faced criticism over budget deficits.

Lapid became Prime Minister in July 2022 as part of a rotation agreement with Naftali Bennett. He served until November 2022, when elections brought Benjamin Netanyahu back to power.

As opposition leader, Lapid led protests and parliamentary opposition against the Netanyahu government's judicial reform plan, which critics said would weaken the Supreme Court and democratic checks.