Independent MPs refuse to give Morrison guarantees of confidence

Lower house crossbenchers have set the scene for a potentially chaotic parliament.

Bob Katter said he was prepared to use “leverage” to secure policy outcomes.

The five lower house crossbenchers have refused to guarantee they will support a Morrison government in no-confidence motions, setting the scene for a potentially chaotic parliament if the Coalition were to lose its one-seat majority.

Katter’s Australian Party MP Bob Katter said he was prepared to use “leverage” to secure policy outcomes, such as a government-owned rail line into the Galilee Basin, and he was “going to get hostile” if his demands were not met.

The government’s numbers in the House of Representatives will be reduced to 74 for at least one month once Malcolm Turnbull quits his Sydney seat of Wentworth and a by-election is called.

It has already lost one seat after Nationals MP Kevin Hogan ­decided to move to the crossbench in protest against the Liberal leadership turmoil to sit as an “independent Nat”.

He has pledged to support the Coalition on issues of confidence and supply and will still sit in the Nationals partyroom, but will have freedom to vote against government bills.

The Speaker, Liberal MP Tony Smith, receives a casting vote when the vote is tied.

He would be unable to affect the result if the 69 Labor MPs and five crossbenchers supported a motion against the Coalition or opposed a government bill if the government had just 73 members.

If the Coalition lost a no-confidence motion in the lower house, it would by convention be required to resign in favour of an alternative government or dissolve the House of Representatives.

Centre Alliance MP Rebekha Sharkie was the only crossbencher yesterday to guarantee her support on supply motions. The five independents are expecting meetings with Scott Morrison in coming weeks to discuss their working relationships.

Victorian independent MP Cathy McGowan said the Liberal Party leadership needed to negotiate new policies with her directly.

Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie revealed yesterday that deputy Liberal leader Josh Frydenberg had already given him a courtesy call but he was refusing to guarantee supply or confidence. “I did not guarantee supply or confidence to Malcolm Turnbull, I do not guarantee supply or confidence to Scott Morrison. I will vote on the merits of all ­issues,” he said.

Greens MP Adam Bandt said he would back an election as soon as possible, to “kick this mob out”.