Julia Gillard's Australian Labor Party wins government

Louise Yaxley

Last Updated: Tue, 7 Sep 2010 18:51:00 +1000

The Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, says the Labor Party is ready to govern and she hopes to be swearing in a new ministry next week.

Ms Gillard has secured the support of the independents Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor with a package of nearly $AU10 billion for regional Australia.

"To deliver for regional Australia recognising that in our nation one size does not fit all," she said.

It gives her the narrowest possible majority in parliament.

She has 76 votes and the Opposition leader, Tony Abbott has 74.

Ms Gillard says the new parliament with those extremely tight numbers will sit soon.

Before that she will unveil a new Cabinet and keep her promise to give former Australian prime minister, Kevin Rudd, a senior job.

Mr Abbott says it is a disappointing result but calls it an amazing journey.

"I don't think anyone would have expected nine months ago that the Coalition would have come within a whisker of forming government. "

He says he will renominate for the Coalition leadership.

Independent decisions

Ms Gillard's government is backed by two key independents, Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott.

"My vote will be going to the Gillard Government. I won't support no confidence motions, trivial no confidence motions. I will support supply," Mr Oakeshott said.

The third independent MP, Bob Katter, sided with the Opposition Coalition, giving them 74 votes.

Mr Windsor said Labor's National Broadband Network and position on climate change were major factors in his decision, as well as a feeling that if he supported the Coalition it would rush to the polls.

He also made a plea to his conservative constituents not to turn away from a Labor government.

"This is about using the political system to advantage the people we represent," he said.

Mr Oakeshott said he considered who could form a more stable government, who had a better deal for the bush and who could work best with a Greens-dominated Senate when coming to his final position.

And he revealed that an offer of a ministry position had been made, but he would not confirm by which side and whether he would take up any offer.

Rural package

Labor has promised a regional package as part of the deal, but the two men did not outline specific details, instead leaving that to Ms Gillard.

"I'm confirming for the Governor-General of Australia that today I will do what I've always done, ironically, and give confidence and supply to government and in effect that means confidence and supply in Julia Gillard," he said.

"This is going to be a cracking Parliament. It's going to be beautiful in its ugliness."

Mr Oakeshott's and Mr Windsor's decision to swing behind Labor is a bitter blow for Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, who came closer than anyone expected to winning the election. In recent days he pleaded with the country trio not to forget their conservative roots.

Election chance

Mr Windsor says he thinks there would have been a higher chance of an early election under a Coalition minority government.

Mr Windsor and fellow independent Rob Oakeshott have backed Labor, giving Julia Gillard's government the 76 votes it needs.

Mr Windsor has praised Ms Gillard and the Opposition leader Tony Abbott for the way they conducted the negotiations.

But he says he believes the Coalition would be more likely to return to the polls sooner, because it has a better chance of winning another election.

"There's been background noise and a little bit louder than background noise, that if there's a hung parliament with the Coalition in government that they'd rush off to the polls as soon as they could. and one of the things that we really want to do is try and get some longevity into this parliament."