Andrew Wilkie, the nominally independent one time Greens candidate that has just thrown his support behind the ALP-Greens, has been playing ALP-style dirty tricks to try and discredit the Coalition.
Wilkie claims that the Coalition offer to build a new $1 billion hospital in his electorate was too much for his new found fiscal conservative sensibilities to handle. A bit rich from someone who has made 22 demands of the ALP, 18 of which amount to multi-billion dollar new spending proposals.
Apparently it was Wilkie that was pushing for the new hospital and Abbott obliged. Not the other way round.
…the Coalition disputes Mr Wilkie’s version of the negotiations, saying he was the one who asked for the billion-dollar spending commitment.
When asked on Radio National whether Mr Wilkie had “double-crossed” the Coalition, Mr Hockey replied: “Good question.”
Mr Hockey said Mr Wilkie never asked where the funds would come from.
Opposition finance spokesman Andrew Robb joined the attack, saying Mr Wilkie lobbied hard for substantial funds for the hospital.
“I find it somewhat odd, his claim yesterday,” he told AM.
“It is a bit ironic that he spent a week-and-a-half trying to desperately convince Tony Abbott that this was not only, not reckless, but the most responsible thing that he thought could be done.”
“He went to great lengths to explain why this money would be better spent on a major hospital for Tasmania.”
This whole negotiation to try and form a government has been a set-up from the beginning. The Greens, Wilkie, Oakeshot and Windsor never had/have any intention of doing a deal with Abbott. They have simply been looking for any minor excuse to ignore the voters and jump into bed with Gillard while trying to damage Abbott along the way to get Turnbull back in the leadership. You know someone that will just roll over on all things carbon taxation.
Take Oakeshott’s interview with Andrew Bolt this week, where he appears to be coming unhinged. His bromance with Tony Windsor, crazy policy demands for ‘consensus politics’, new found desire for all things anti-mining pro-carbon taxation and betrayal of the National Party would seem to suggest a person completely out of his depth. Emotionally erratic, intellectually naive and easily influenced by sneaky arguments that appeal to his poorly defined moral compass. Wilkie however is just a cynical leftie looking to settle old scores about the Iraq War. A war he has subsequently been shown to have been wrong about since the discovery of a range of WMD programmes and substances the UN did not know about and were in contravention of UN resolutions.
UPDATE
Andrew Robb has confirmed on AM Radio that it was Andrew Wilkie that proposed the $1 billion hospital deal, not Abbott. Wilkie then turned around and criticised the Coalition for offering him so much money for a hospital!
UPDATE II
The independents, at least Katter and Windsor, seem to be saying that they have not made their minds up yet. They have the weekend to make up their minds. I still maintain this is a set-up.
Independent MP Tony Windsor has conceded it would be easier for him to back a Coalition government, but he is adamant he will not be pressured by anyone to go either way.
Katter has lost me by claiming that Rudd led a good government.
When asked how much Mr Rudd had “twisted his arm” when the pair met for dinner he replied: “Pretty firmly. I was very surprised.”
“He just used arguments that there would be a continuation of the sort of government that he provided. I make no secret of the fact that [Mr Rudd] provided good government.
I challenge Katter to name one ALP policy of note that worked, came in on budget and on time.
UPDATE III
All three want fixed terms, much like how Windsor wanted fixed terms in NSW. Look how that has turned out.
The trio want legislation to stop an early poll, which would mean another election could only be called if the independents supported it.
“It’s a sign of weakness if you’re racing back to the polls every five minutes,” Mr Katter said.
More like a way to avoid the accountability and the career uncertainty that comes with elections. It is a set-up!