Fate of Australian parliament rests in hands of 'haystack amigos’

The Telegraph ^ | 8/22/2010 | Bonnie Malkin, Sydney

[bruinbirdman]

After a tense night of vote-counting yielded no clear result, Australia was heading for a hung parliament with independents Tony Windsor, Rob Oakeshott and Bob Katter, who hail from regional areas, becoming the unlikely kingmakers.

Independents (L-R) Bob Katter, Rob Oakeshott, Tony Windsor

While they all have links to the National Party, the minor party in Tony Abbott’s conservative coalition, the independents have said that past allegiances will not influence their negotiations.

The most unpredictable member of the trio is Mr Katter, the MP for the vast seat of Kennedy in northern Queensland which covers more than 340,000sq miles.

A maverick politician who has fallen out with the Nationals, Mr Katter said that the group had not yet decided which party would win its backing.

“We get on very well together, we work very closely together, we have similar backgrounds and [we will] determine a responsible course of conduct to which we can move forward,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Mr Katter is a self-described “wild boy from the country” who believes climate change is “rubbish” and shuns computers. Known for his unorthodox style and colourful campaigning, Mr Katter once remarked that his electorate was so underpopulated that you could drop a nuclear bomb in several places and not kill anyone.

When it comes down to making demands of the major parties, Mr Katter said rural issues ranging from the price of bananas to regional infrastructure would feature heavily in negotiations with either side.

While the trio have pledged to decide as a bloc, their varying priorities have raised concerns that any minority government could be dangerously unstable and could result in the country returning to the polls in less than 12 months.

But Mr Windsor, a veteran independent MP, said the group

[Frantzie]

They sound a bit like rednecks which is a good thing. The one guy called GW “rubbish.” LOL! I like him. No muslims in the bunch like potus.

[Frantzie]

They sound a bit like rednecks which is a good thing. The one guy called GW “rubbish.” LOL! I like him. No muslims in the bunch like potus.

[SAJ]

Sell Dec Aussie Dollar futures, and just to enhance the profit a bit, write 2 September 8700 puts @43 pips (which expire on 3rd September).

Then repeat the oppie sale for October, a bit further OOM.

Until the issue of A) who controls the Aussie legislature is resolved (make no mistake, their pols are the same sort of self-serving sods as are American pols), and B) the super-tax on mining and minerals production is resolved at some NON-confiscatory rate, Aussie $ rates to be quite weak, even though the Australian budget and economic position is enormously favourable.

Good trading to all! (...but don't trust Jillie, just as you wouldn't have trusted the former PM, usually known as kRudd.)

[Nextrush]

Those three guys in combo with Tony Abbott might make a decent government in Australia.

The final count should be Labor 72, Green 1, former Green independent 1, Liberal-National 73, former National Party independents 3.

I see 76 seats that Tony Abbott can get. Guillard can only get the Green guy for sure and maybe get the other former Green guy for 74.

[naturalman1975]

Bob Katter campaign ad.

It's worth watching.

[Cowboy Bob]

Mr Katter is a self-described “wild boy from the country” who believes climate change is “rubbish” and shuns computers.

Too bad the Republicans don't have leaders like this!