Labor ahead in govt race, says Gillard

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says a formal agreement with the Australian Greens has
put Labor ahead in the race to form a minority government.
But Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says the deal - which wasn't unexpected -
indicates Ms Gillard is prepared to junk policy and principle in her quest for
power.
The agreement means Labor can count on 73 votes in the lower house.
Ms Gillard says the coalition has 72 votes without the West Australian National Tony
Crook.
The prime minister told reporters Mr Crook was "likely to come to an arrangement
with the coalition ... but an arrangement not yet entered into".
However, the real kingmakers remain the four independents: the rural trio of Rob
Oakeshott, Tony Windsor and Bob Katter and Tasmania's Andrew Wilkie.
Ms Gillard was hoping to be able to announce on Wednesday that she'd secured the
support of Mr Wilkie as well as the Greens lower house MP Adam Bandt.
But Mr Wilkie threw a spanner in the works by knocking back her formal offer.
"It is unsatisfactory," he told ABC Radio.
"I'll be in back in touch with her today or tomorrow to talk some more."
The Hobart-based MP is also planning further talks with Mr Abbott.
The rural independents were briefed on Labor and the coalition's policy costings on
Wednesday evening by Treasury boss Ken Henry and finance secretary David Tune.
Ms Gillard wants the costings released afterwards.
"It is my intention to ask the independents if the costings of government policies
prepared at their request ... can be released publicly," she said, adding Mr Abbott
should follow suit.
The opposition leader thinks they'll be made public - at some stage.
"What is going to come out of this process, I trust, is a stable and competent
government," Mr Abbott said.
"All cards will be on the table and that means that everyone will be fully aware of
the best possible costings of coalition policies."
Spokesmen for Mr Oakeshott and Mr Windsor could not say if or when the costings
would be released.
The information was principally to help the independents make an informed choice on
which side to back, they said.
Mr Katter is within a "hair's breadth" of making up his mind but says he'll wait for
his fellow bush independents before going public.
They've suggested the nation will have to wait until early next week.
"It will be somewhere between Friday and Tuesday," Mr Windsor told News Ltd, while
Mr Oakeshott said it was still "early days".
Mr Abbott said a Labor/Greens "coalition" would be bad for regional Australia and it
was built on the back of a broken promise.
The agreement stipulates a Gillard government would establish a cross-party climate
change committee made up of parliamentarians "who are committed to tackling climate
change".
The Liberal leader said that meant Ms Gillard had "junked" her promised citizens'
assembly to build community consensus for action.
"It demonstrates that the quest for power is now the only principle that the Labor
Party holds dear," Mr Abbott said.
He also accused Labor and the Greens of "consummating" a deal that was "prearranged"
before the election.
"I'm just extremely disappointed with (Greens leader) Bob Brown," he said, before
adding that if the coalition did form government he'd be willing to work with
Senator Brown.
Ms Gillard accused Mr Abbott of fearmongering by saying Labor and the Greens were in
a coalition. She also denied dumping the citizens' assembly.
Greens leader Bob Brown also rejected the idea any suggestion of a coalition,
labelling the deal "an agreement" instead.
It only applies if Labor forms government and provides for the establishment of a
leaders' debate commission and a parliamentary budget office, greater accountability
for political donations and parliamentary reform.
That includes changing the rules so votes in the hung parliament can be recommitted
on a subsequent sitting day if a member misses a division "due to inadvertence".
On the policy front, the parties have agreed on the need for a carbon price, better
dental care, a high speed rail study and a parliamentary debate on the war in
Afghanistan.