Oz PM Julia Gillard to form government following two key Independents’ support

CANBERRA - Two NSW Independent MPs, Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor, have backed Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s Labor party to form the government, thereby giving her party a one-seat majority, two weeks after elections produced the first hung parliament in 70 years.

The third MP, Bob Katter, earlier announced his support to the Coalition.

According to News.com.au, Oakeshott claimed that he is going against his usual political beliefs for the good of the country.

Meanwhile, Windsor said he has favoured Labor as he thought that opposition leader Tony Abbott would want to rush back to the polls “because I think he would win”.

“They (Labor) are more likely to be here for a longer period of time if they can’t go back to the polls in a hurry. They’ve got more to lose,” he added.

Windsor has reportedly ruled out taking on a ministry in a Gillard government or being speaker in the next parliament. Oakeshott, however, has said that an offer has been made to him, but did not elaborate on it.

Windsor, who announced his decision first, has said broadband and renewable energy policies, and the stability of the government were the deciding factors for him.

Oakeshott said all the Independents have struggled with a “wicked dilemma”. He has said it was “line-ball, six of one, half a dozen of the other” in making his decision and that the job ahead of both sides of politics now is to “bring Australia together”.

“If we can have a country that is as much as possible unified on the back of this decision, then that is a good job done,” he added.

Katter said the removal of Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister was a key factor in his decision and “it would have been a different outcome” if Rudd was still Labor leader.(ANI)