The devil and Rambo join negotiations

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's task of trying to form a minority government has
been complicated by prank phone calls involving Rambo and the devil.
The key players gathered in Canberra on Monday but serious policy discussions were
overshadowed by a spat between NSW independent Rob Oakeshott and veteran Liberal
backbencher Bill Heffernan.
Meanwhile, the Nationals held their first party meeting since the election and
spruiked their status as the party of choice for regional Australia.
Mr Oakeshott flew to Canberra and immediately accused the coalition - and,
particularly, the Nationals - of running a smear campaign against him.
The member for Lyne also demanded, and received, an explanation from Mr Abbott
regarding a phone call by Senator Heffernan in which the senator identified himself
as "the devil".
Senator Heffernan later tried to excuse his behaviour by saying he thought he was
speaking to one of Mr Oakeshott's young children.
"None of those phone calls are helpful in establishing confidence in building
trusted relationships," Mr Oakeshott told reporters.
"I'm pleased that Tony Abbott did jump on the phone and clarify his view and clarify
that it certainly wasn't with authority on his behalf."
Earlier, Mr Oakeshott queried whether the "Rambo-style phone calls" he'd been
receiving were part of a "strategic move to try and destabilise this whole process".
Fellow NSW independent Tony Windsor said Senator Heffernan's behaviour was "stupid".
"I think that's Bill - he's always been a bit of a devil," Mr Windsor said.
"The stupidity of all of that is saying it thinking it was a child.
"Even with his sense of humour he just wants to rein himself in a bit."
The two NSW independents - along with Queensland independent Bob Katter and incoming
Tasmania independent Andrew Wilkie - will likely determine who becomes Australia's
next prime minister.
Mr Wilkie outlined "areas for discussion" in a joint letter to Prime Minister Julia
Gillard and Mr Abbott on Monday ahead of meetings with both.
Afterwards he declared: "Both of them are well aware that it's in the public
interest that a decision be made soon and that the next government be stood up as
soon as possible".
The former intelligence whistleblower wants the leaders to consider fast-tracking
the national broadband network and revoking approval for the Gunns pulp mill.
He also wants a price on carbon, universal dental care, a disability insurance
scheme and a boost for "all government pensions, allowances and other payments".
But the two key priorities, he told reporters, were a new hospital for Hobart and
reform to poker machine laws. Mr Wilkie said he would need further meetings before
declaring his hand.
Mr Oakeshott, Mr Windsor and Mr Katter also held talks with the prime minister and
the opposition leader on Monday evening.
Ms Gillard was expected to lay out her proposals for parliamentary reform, which is
a key demand of the rural independents.
She'll have a chance to make her proposals public on Tuesday when she addresses the
National Press Club.
Mr Katter revealed he'd present his own "set of proposals" to the leaders on Tuesday.
The Kennedy MP said he could see good arguments for backing both Labor and the
coalition.
"(But) you live in a paradigm of Liberal or Labor - I don't," he told reporters.
"I live in a paradigm of north Queensland and I will be voting for north Queensland."
As for the phone calls - all three independents had been experience pressure to vote
one way or the other - Mr Katter took a leaf out of Mr Windsor's book by stating: "I
don't think it's very helpful in this environment for that sort of stupidity to be
taking place".
The Nationals used their first party meeting since the election to fight suggestions
the independents were likely to get a better deal for the bush than they had in 12
years of office.
"We will stand up for regional Australia and make sure that we deliver a share of
our nation's growth and prosperity back to the regions," party leader Warren Truss
said.
But he wasn't able to clear up confusion over whether West Australian National Tony
Crook would sit on the crossbench. Mr Crook has refused to rule out sitting on the
crossbenches because of tensions between the WA Nationals and its federal
counterparts.
The Nationals senate leader, Barnaby Joyce, was more clear-cut.
"He's part of the National Party and I genuinely believe he'll be part of the
coalition in a constructive way," Senator Joyce told Sky News.