Julia Gillard gets kingmakers on board and heads for power

Published on Monday 6 September 2010 15:52

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard is expected to form a new minority government today with the backing of three "kingmaker" independent politicians, ending two weeks of uncertainty.

The news came as a new poll showed more than half (52 per cent) of Australians now want another election, regardless of which party the independents decided to back, underscoring expectations that any new government will struggle with such a thin majority.

The poll, by Essential Media, also found that 70 per cent of respondents believed there would be fresh elections within a year, regardless of whether a deal to break the deadlock is reached.

Independent Tony Windsor said the impasse should end on this morning, but there was still a risk the independent MPs could split, delivering a deadlock of 75 votes apiece in the 150-seat lower house and the prospect of another election.

"People may be leaning one way, but they may have to come back the other way to get some stability into the system, Mr Windsor said yesterday before last-minute talks with rival leaders at Canberra's parliament house.

Labor's Ms Gillard and conservative opposition leader Tony Abbott have been desperately wooing the independents for their support for a minority government since August 21 elections delivered the country's first hung parliament since the Second World War.

It was reported yesterday that unnamed conservatives were expecting Ms Gillard to win over at least two independents to form a minority government holding 76 seats. Bookmakers are also tipping a Gillard Labor government.

Ms Gillard currently has 74 seats to Mr Abbott's 73 after a fourth independent last week sided with Labor, but Mr Abbott could still form a government if the three uncommitted independents back him. Labor has promised a controversial mining profits tax and a $38 billion broadband project if it wins, as well a carbon price to curb one of the world's highest per-capita levels of emissions.

Independent Rob Oakeshott said he could change his mind about which of the two major parties to back in a minority government if the outcome was tied at 75 seats apiece. He also said he was disappointed at conservative opposition to some parliamentary reforms sought by the kingmakers.

"There is a national interest issue in question about how we have a stable government over the next three years," he said. Betting agencies were tipping one of the three, stetson-wearing outback MP Bob Katter, to side with Mr Abbott. Mr Katter last week gave Ms Gillard and Mr Abbott a "wish list" of 20 priorities that could cement his support, ruling out emissions, trade and the 30 per cent tax on coal and iron ore miners.

But he also hinted that the mining tax, brokered by Ms Gillard with Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Xstrata, was not a deal breaker.