Four independents lean to the Coalition in a hung house

Phelps, Oakeshott hedge bets as other players tell who they would support in a hung parliament.

Independents Zali Steggall, left, and Kerryn Phelps catch up over coffee.

Scott Morrison could count on the vote of at least four potential independents, and Bill Shorten one, in the event that Saturday’s election results in a hung parliament.

The Coalition may need to win only 72 seats to form minority governm­ent, if the Speaker were ­chosen from the crossbench.

Zali Steggall, the Olympian running against Tony Abbott in Warringah on Sydney’s northern beaches, said she was leaning toward­s supporting the Coalition.

“I will be true to the platform and issues on which I have campaign­ed,” Ms Steggall said. “My preference is to support the Coalition, but it would have to addres­s climate change with stronger policy. I will not support Labor’s investment tax changes in any circumstances.”

Jessica Whelan, an independent candidate in the Tasmanian seat of Lyons after being dumped by the Liberal Party, said she would support a Coalition government if it agreed to local infrastructure funding commitments.

“If they need my support to win government, I would request certain­ things of them,” she said.

Kevin Mack, the Albury mayor running as a conservative independent in Liberal Sussan Ley’s southwestern NSW seat of Farrer, said he would support the Coal­ition if he received assurances on water management.

“If I was provided with what I required to support them, I would support the Coalition,” Mr Mack said.

“What I need is water returned­ to the farmers, a pause in the plan, and a royal commission into the Murray-Darling Basin.”

 

Bob Katter said he was “un­decided” but when pushed indicated he would back Mr Morrison. “On every occasion before, I have made my decision on the basis of who is going to give north Queensland the better deal,” Mr Katter said about his Kennedy electorate.

“Morrison is one of the few peopl­e who has stood up for Christianity, so he starts off very strong. Beyond that it will come down to what we get in north Queensland.”

Bill Shorten would have the support of Oliver Yates, if the independent defeats Josh Frydenberg in Kooyong.

“I would consider the last six years of government in-fighting, chaos and failure to address climat­e change in determining who to support,” Mr Yates said.

“Given the failure of the Liberal Party on these issues, I would be obliged to support the Labor Party in the formation of government.”

The Centre Alliance’s Rebekha Sharkie said she had supported the Liberals in the past and recognised her South Australian electorate of Mayo was a “non-Labor seat”.

Key independents Kerryn Phelps and Rob Oakeshott ­refused to indicate which party they would back to form government if neither won a majority.

Dr Phelps would not weigh in to the “hypothetical” situation of a hung parliament. But she did tell The Australian: “I do not support Labor’s planned changes to franking credits, negative gearing and capital gains tax but I want to see a comprehensive suite of policies to ensure we see positive action on climate change.”

Rob Oakeshott, who could pick up the seat of Cowper in NSW, said it was a “silly question” and would not foreshadow who he would go with if given the power to determine who ran the country.

“I will cross that bridge when I come to it,” he said.

Mr Oakeshott backed Julia Gillard as prime ­minister under a minority Labor government in 2010.

In the Victorian regional seat of Indi, independent Helen Haines said “neither party has passed the test” based on what has been put forward so far in this campaign.

Andrew Wilkie said he wouldn’t back either party for confide­nce or supply. “I will not do any deals with either major party to form government.’’

Craig Garland, a fisherman running as an independent for a Tasmanian Senate seat; Alice Thompson in Mackellar; Jeremy Miller in Lyne; and Ray Kingston in Mallee also said they had promised their electorates they would not back a major party if elected. Julia Banks did not return The Australian’s calls.

Both major parties have concede­d a hung parliament is a strong possibility and have launched a last-minute bid for prim­ary votes, warning Australians if they choose independents the country will be stuck with the “chaos” of a minority government.

“You never know what you’re going to get,” Scott Morrison said on Monday night.

“People vote for an independ­ent thinking they’ll respect the wishes of their local electorate ultimat­ely about who should form a government.”

The Australian reported yesterday that 17 seats across Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Western Australia were “too close to call”.

The Coalition and Labor are ramping up advertising in a bid to sway undecided voters.

In the hours left before the ban on TV and radio political advertising kicks in tonight, Labor is running an attack ad warning voters of the influence Clive Palmer and Pauline Hanson may have under a minority Coalition government. “The chaos within the Liberal National government is out of control but it’s nothing compared to the chaos of a Morrison-Palmer One Nation government,” the ad says.

The Coalition has taken a differen­t route and is running ads at petrol bowsers. “Pump TV” ads are playing at 12,000 petrol station­s across five states.