Rudd owes US popularity to Coalition: Opposition

The Federal Opposition has welcomed Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's warm reception in the United States but says he owes a lot of it to the Coalition. 

Mr Rudd announced today he will seek a seat on the United Nations Security Council from 2013 after an absence of 22 years. 

He outlined his intentions during an hour-long meeting with UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon in New York this morning. 

United States President George W Bush told Mr Rudd at a meeting in Washington yesterday that he accepted Australia's decision to bring troops home from Iraq. 

Federal Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson has told ABC's Insiders program the previous Howard government took the alliance to a new, stronger level.

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Gus: Owes his popularity? Crap... unless Kevin's popularity is only good and fresh in contrast with the smelly carpet crawling, brown nosing and rusty cracked record from Johnnee...