Federal election 2016: it’s horse-trading and wishlists

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s hold on power will rest with five key crossbench members of parliament.

Senator Nick Xenophon with Rebekha Sharkie, the new federal member for the seat of Mayo. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

Malcolm Turnbull’s fate will rest with five key crossbench MPs if Saturday’s knife-edge poll result denies him majority government — an outcome that will force him into a desperate race with Bill Shorten to secure control of the parliament.

The five disparate MPs include South Australian independent senator Nick Xenophon; North Queensland’s Bob Katter; Tas­manian independent Andrew Wilkie; Greens MP in Melbourne Adam Bandt, and independent MP Cathy McGowan, who holds the regional Victorian seat of Indi.

Andrew Wilkie.

The crossbenchers yesterday began to sketch out the price they would extract in return for forming a minority government with a multi-billion-dollar wishlist emerging, including construction of new dams, rail lines and canals in addition to new whistleblower protections and stricter government accountability controls.

While Greens leader Richard Di Natale has ruled out ever supporting a minority Liberal government and Mr Wilkie has indicated his electorate leans towards Labor, Senator Xenophon and Mr Katter made it clear yesterday that they were open to bargaining.

Senator Xenophon, whose lower-house candidate Rebekha Sharkie has snagged the Adelaide Hills electorate of Mayo from former Liberal frontbencher Jamie Briggs, said he would back the major party best able to provide stability while also meeting his log of claims: “We will support the side that can form a stable government and listen to us in respect of key concerns which we think reflect the wishes of Middle Australia.”

Senator Xenophon went on to identify manufacturing jobs, ­including a rescue package for Arrium as well as government accountability as his core issues, claiming they had been overlooked by the major parties in the marathon election campaign.

Cathy McGowan.

“We have a manufacturing sector in crisis,” he said. “(There are) upwards of 200,000 jobs at risk with the departure of carmaking in this country.

“It will hit particularly South Australia and Victoria very hard.”

Senator Xenophon, whose Nick Xenophon Team looks set to win three upper-house seats in South Australia, said whoever formed government needed to ­ensure Whyalla-based steelmaker Arrium was not “allowed to fall over” after it was placed in volunt­ary administration in April.

While ruling out those in his team accepting a ministry or other government position, Senator Xenophon also listed new media whistleblower protections, concessional loans to Australian businesses and poker machine reform as priorities.

Mr Katter, who holds the north Queensland seat of Kennedy, has a more expansive set of demands which will be codified into a 20-point list. He told The Australian yesterday a hung parliament looked “almost certain”.

“I may not end up with the balance of power, but even if it is a government with just one or two votes up its sleeve, the people in the centre will have immense power,” he said. “I most certainly intend to use that power.”

Mr Katter, 71, wants billions in funding for numerous projects ­including large, uncosted infrastructure developments in north Queensland with a 400km canal linking Mount Isa to the Gulf of Carpentaria; an irrigation dam at Hell’s Gate on the Upper Burdekin River; a railway line to the Galilee Basin; and a resealing of the Hann Highway between Hughenden and Cairns.

Greens MP Adam Bandt.

“I want outcomes for north Queensland: I won’t be aligning myself with one or the other (on individual parliamentary votes) except to promise supply,’’ Mr Katter said. “They want a deal and I want outcomes in the best interests of the electorate and northern Australia.”

Mr Wilkie, who helped Julia Gillard form minority government in 2010, made clear that he was “mindful” his Hobart-based seat of Denison had a greater leaning to Labor on a two-candidate-­preferred basis. However, he said he was willing to speak to both sides to discuss who was best placed to form government while ruling out any formal deals to ­support or oppose no-confidence motions or budget supply bills.

While willing to negotiate on each piece of legislation, he would not horse-trade in return for ­support to govern, instead being ­guided by who could best provide good governance.

“If through that process I get the ear of the government, maybe they’ll also be some largesse for the electorate,” he said.

Senator Di Natale said the Greens wanted “strong action” on global warming, “no more coal-fired power” and the unwinding of the Coalition’s tough border polic­ies. He has previously signalled that he would seek the abolition of corporate political donations and the establishment of a national anti-corruption commission.

Bob Katter.

“No matter how difficult this issue is, we will never support a policy that at its heart takes innocent people and harms them in an effort to try and send a message to someone else,” he said.

“Don’t believe a word of this nonsense that neither side will contact the Greens if this situation arises — the mobile is charged, it’s ready, and I’m waiting for the call.”

Ms McGowan would not be drawn on whether she would vote confidence in Mr Turnbull’s government, saying she would “cross that bridge when we get to it”.

“He’s very confident that he can form a majority government and we’ve agreed to stay in contact over the next couple of days as the national situation settles down,” she said after speaking to the Prime Minister. She said there was “no truth” to rumours she could become Speaker.

Additional reporting: Jared Owens, Matthew Denholm