ELECTION 2010: Independents expected to decide tomorrow on new government

The exhausting waiting game that is federal politics appears to have at least one more day to run, with independents Bob Katter, Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor expected to announce tomorrow whether they will side with Labor or the Coalition to form minority government.

The trio are set to meet again today with Prime Minster Julia Gillard and Opposition leader Tony Abbott, giving the major parties one more chance to cajole, persuade and offer deals to the kingmakers.

After these meetings, the trio are expected to finalise their intentions.

“My guess is that on the basis of all of that we’ll make a determination probably tomorrow morning,” Windsor told ABC Radio this morning.

Labor needs the support of two of the independents to get to the magic 76-seat number that would allow it to form government, while the Coalition needs all three.

Most commentators are now suggesting Labor is best-placed to win over the trio, despite Tony Abbott releasing an open letter to the independents yesterday suggesting their country roots meant they should side with the Coalition.

While the trio have said they would vote along similar lines, Windsor says this is far from certain.

“I’d hope that we’d all vote in a similar fashion but there is no guarantee of that at all.”

“There is a possibility here that we could end up with 75-all… and I’ve asked people from both sides of the Parliament, ‘Do you want another election?’ and they really run in fear when you suggest that to them.”

However, if the independents do split, both Windsor and Oakeshot have signalled that one of them could be willing to change their vote to ensure stability for the government and avoid a return to the poll.

But ironically, that is exactly what many voters want.

A telephone poll of 1,000 people published by News Ltd showed 56% people want another election to resolve the hung parliament problem.