Treasury secrets would be revealed to the independents.
Julia Gillard could now be in first place to win back governmental power after she agreed to give the independents full access to the Treasury and Finance Departments.
The independents met with both Ms Gillard and Mr Abbott yesterday with their seven demands. These demands were:
- Access to the Treasury and Finance Departments including election costings and budget policies.
- Briefings on broadband, health, education, infrastructure, agriculture, climate change, defence and tourism.
- Three year plans for the above departments.
- Improved status of local MPs.
- Improved relations between House of Representatives and the Senate and a commitment for ‘consensus options’ for the next three years.
- Negotiations for government to be in the national interest and a commitment to a three year term.
- Reform on political donations, funding and advertising.
Ms Gillard has shown herself ready to negotiate by agreeing to this first demand, something that Mr Abbott has slammed, calling Ms Gillard a “desperate Prime Minister”. Mr Abbott has said that he would not give the three independents full disclosure to Treasury as it contained confidential information.
However Labour Treasurer Wayne Swan has defended the decision to bow down to the demand, saying “I think that’s vital information they would require to take a decision in the national interest,” He has also called for the election costing information to be made public.
Migrants to Australia will note that the seven key demands do not include immigration policies and therefore one can only assume that whichever party gets into power, their main immigration policies will not change, despite repeated pleas from businesses to re-consider any possible cap on migration.
So far Ms Gillard appears to be in the lead in the election competition, but expect many more twists and turns yet before a final outcome is revealed that could even see Australians heading back to the ballot boxes.
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