FED:"No lying:" kingmaker MP

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2010
FED:"No lying:" kingmaker MP

CANBERRA, Aug 23 AAP - One of the independents who may end up a parliamentary kingmaker
has warned he will not tolerate any lying from a new government.

It's not yet clear whether Labor or the Liberals will end up with the most seats, or
who will form a government with the help of the crossbenches.

Independent Andrew Wilkie, who is tussling with Labor for the lineball Tasmanian seat
of Denison, said it was not true he would automatically support Labor.

"I've got a clean sheet of paper in front of me at the moment," the left-leaning Mr
Wilkie told ABC Television on Monday night.

He said that, if elected, he would side with the party best placed to offer "stable,
competent and ethical government" - not necessarily the party with the most seats.

"In the acts of lying and so on, I won't accept that and I won't support legislation
in that regard," he said.

Another potential kingmaker, West Australian National Tony Crook, is counted as a coalition
member but has said he'd act as an independent.

"If we need to step outside of the coalition, we're prepared to do that, and if we
need to step outside of the party room we'll do the same thing," Mr Crook told ABC Television.

When asked if he would sign up to a deal with the coalition and support them on all
laws, Mr Crook said: "Not at all".

The WA Nationals were an independent political party, he said.

Another kingmaker MP, the Greens' Adam Bandt, said he would meet other independents
in Canberra on Tuesday to get to know them.

He told ABC Television he was inclined to support Labor because they were more progressive,
and flagged that he would move in the House of Representatives on gay marriage, asylum
seekers, and putting a price on carbon.

AAP ca/cdh

KEYWORD: POLL10 INDEPENDENTS

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.