Following the election of a new Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on November 24, it is appropriate to ask whether Australia's relations with Kenya and other African countries will change, and if so, in what direction.

Having watched Australian foreign policy from both inside the government and outside it in the past 25 years, I see no clear sign that there will be a change in the new government's approach to Africa.

The two main foreign policy issues on which the incoming Australian Labour Party (ALP) has differed with the outgoing Liberal Party are the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the failure to ratify the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.

The ALP was strongly opposed to the invasion of Iraq without authorisation from the UN Security Council, and has threatened to withdraw some of Australia's troops next year. Such a withdrawal, like the troop presence in the first instance, would only be symbolic because Australia has just over 5,000 troops in Iraq.

Another area where the new prime minister will differ with John Howard's policy is on the issue of climate change. Howard was sceptical about climate change and subsequently refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Kevin Rudd has promised to ratify the protocol promptly and to attend the forthcoming UN climate change negotiations in Bali, Indonesia, scheduled for December 3-14.

Like the earlier ALP governments headed by Robert Hawke (1983-1991) and Paul Keating (1991-1996), the Rudd government is likely to take the environment, respect for international law, and other multilateral issues, including UN peacekeeping, more seriously than the Howard government. By following or supporting unilateral American actions on some key international issues, Howard indirectly contributed to the potential weakening of the multilateral system.

As small countries, Kenya and other African states stand to benefit more from a stronger multilateral system than a weaker one. Therefore, if the Rudd government helped strengthen the multilateral system, it would contribute to the creation of a global environment in which Kenya and other African states could pursue their goals more successfully.

However, there are two issues of major significance to Africa on which the new Australian government will pursue policies similar to those of its predecessors.

First, on democratisation, the rule of law, respect for human rights and gender equality, there will be no difference between the Rudd government and its predecessor.

This means Australia will continue to condemn what is happening in the Darfur region of Sudan, Zimbabwe and similar places.

Second, on development assistance and other forms of foreign aid, Africa should not expect to be treated differently by the new Australian government.

Rudd has promised to increase the amount of aid as a percentage of the gross domestic product, but its aid programmes, as in the past, will be directed to Southeast Asia and the South Pacific islands.

Australia has traditionally been generous to the neighbouring states. In Africa, Canberra has consistently provided substantial aid to South Africa, and its mission in South Africa is the largest on the continent.

However, few other African states have received, and should expect, much economic assistance. Indeed, the Australian government often behaves as if there is a division of labour between Western Europe and Australasia, whereby European countries help Africa while Australia and New Zealand support their poor neighbourhoods.

Prof Makinda is the chair of security, terrorism and counter-terrorism at Murdoch University, Australia