Cocky coalition moves closer to victory

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has revealed more details of a parliamentary overhaul
designed to win over key independents but it may be too late, with Tony Abbott
declaring the coalition is now "a government in waiting".
Ms Gillard and the opposition leader are continuing to hold talks with the key
independents in Canberra as bookies shorten the odds for a coalition win.
It's now a $1.35 favourite to form minority government, while Labor has blown out to
$3.10, according to Centrebet.
Ms Gillard told the National Press Club on Tuesday a Labor government would "build a
new paradigm for regional development".
Her speech echoed the language Rob Oakeshott has been using over the past 10 days.
The Lyne MP will determine Ms Gillard's fate along with fellow rural independents
Tony Windsor and Bob Katter, and Hobart-based independent Andrew Wilkie.
"Australia's new political landscape requires a government that can find new ways to
develop policy and establish consensus," the prime minister said.
"If the new government doesn't find new ways to establish consensus and
parliamentary support then we will have gridlock."
But Mr Abbott says Labor can't possibly deliver stable and competent government.
"We are no longer in opposition," the Liberal leader said before heading into a
shadow cabinet meeting.
"We may very well be a government in waiting.
"It's clear that while we don't yet have a final result from the election, that the
Labor party has first lost its way and then in the election it lost its majority and
it lost its legitimacy."
Ms Gillard has presented the rural independents with a blueprint for parliamentary
reform.
She's refusing to release the paper but said a revamped question time could include
time limits for questions and answers, supplementary questions and a crackdown on
"relevance".
The debate would be overseen by an independent speaker.
"I think it would (also) be good, particularly for regional Australia, to have a way
in which to question and get information senate estimates-style," she said.
The committee system could be "strengthened" too.
Senior Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese later flagged much more significant
reforms, including a crackdown on third-party donations to political parties.
Mr Katter didn't watch Ms Gillard's press club address on Tuesday, but his
spokeswoman told AAP his "constituents were a little disappointed there wasn't a
focus on rural Australia".
"He (Mr Katter) is aware there wasn't as much rural emphasis as he would have
liked," she said.
Ms Gillard insists Labor's commitment to parliamentary reform is "not one of
opportunism" but she admits reform was not a major priority of Labor's first term.
She also denied Labor was "scrambling" to deliver a better deal to the bush in an
attempt to win over the rural independents.
"We don't have to re-discover regional Australia - because we never lost it," she
said, adding any sweeteners for the bush "won't be adding a dollar to the budget
bottom line".
The day after the election, Ms Gillard declared the majority of Australians who'd
voted "preferred" Labor. The two-party preferred vote was a "critical fact to weigh
in the coming days", she said.
But with counting continuing, the Australian Electoral Commission says it's far too
early to say who'll eventually win the two-party count.
"By definition the two-party preferred totals on the website can't be definitive,"
commission spokesman Phil Diak told ABC Radio.
"There's 142 divisions that are still counting and there's around one million-plus
declaration votes out there."
In addition, the AEC won't complete a two-party count in eight seats not fought out
between Labor and the coalition until all positions are declared.
That could take months.
The prime minister also tried to undermine the coalition's claim to 73 seats
overall. That number includes the West Australian National Tony Crook in O'Connor.
"It's not clear to me that the coalition is the coalition anymore when National
Party members are openly speculating that they're on the crossbenches too," Ms
Gillard said.
The key independents are hoping to declare who they'll back by the end of this week.