By Roy Weavers, Editor

After almost a full week of covert discussions, manoeuvring and posturing with the main party leaders, we are no nearer a solution as to who is to govern this great land of ours than we were last Saturday evening.

All through the week the media has presented us with a lot of smiley faced, (or do I mean slimey, it's the same letters just not necessarily in the right order), meetings that have no doubt included copious amounts of schmoozing, cajoling, and silver tongued fawning over the most unlikely bunch of characters that the whirlpool of politics could ever see gurgle to the surface.

Three veteran independents have found themselves in the spotlight with the balance of power sitting squarely, if a little awkwardly, on their broad shoulders.

These three amigos, Tony Windsor from New England, NSW, Rob Oakeshott from Lyne, NSW and Bob Katter from Kennedy, outback rural QLD have been busy doing their due diligence to decide who they will support.

Despite the media presssure they seem to be thoroughly enjoying their role of 'Kingmaker or maybe Queenmaker".  And they are certainly not dancing to any one leaders tune.

One of the early sticking points was generated by the response they got or should we say, not got, from either Prime Minister Julia Gillard or LNP Leader Tony Abbott regarding a seven-point letter they submitted requesting information. The letter apparently asked that all election promises be costed through the Department of Treasury.

Mr Oakeshott says Tony Abbott's offer to provide the three independents with the costing analysis of the Coalition's own accountants is not good enough. He insists quite logically that, "the same people have got to assess both sides."
Julia Gillard has apparently agreed to this request so early implications for the fight are that Round 1 goes to the Gillard camp.

Mr Windsor said he understood the view that Mr Abbott put forward that Treasury "may not understand" the Coalition policies but Tony Windsor brushed that criticism away by ensuring Mr Abbott that the Opposition would have the opportunity to explain any nuances of the policies.

Isn't it amazing that the Treasury civil servants aren't considerd smart enough to understand the proposed coalition election promises.   Surely they've been around politicians long enough to know that $2 + $2 always equals $4 until implementation by which time it comfortably equals about $40 million, give or take the odd contractors bill. Still time will see this point play itself out.

Even with all the derogatory caricatures that the mainstream media insist on childishly portraying these highly respected members of parliament, there is a lot of irrefutable common sense emanating from them.

We shouldn't really be surprised at this, all three are seasoned campaigners and came through the party system before breaking the shackles and taking the independent road.

Tony Windsor from rural NSW was driving their request home when he said "I want to do the same with the Government as we asked of the opposition. Let's take the $43 billion broadband plan ? I haven't yet seen the final detail on that. The concept seems fine, but what are the costings?"

He summarised by saying "Its not just Tony Abbott, it's also about the Labor Party, and its about establishing a degree of trust. If we help form a government, I want to be able to trust the people that are in it," he said.

It's interesting to note that all three independents hail from rural areas, where voters have traditionally been at odds with the two big parties and their usual urban-focused political debate.  Access to education, hospitals, jobs, transport and telecommunications are key issues for voters in 'the bush', where a quarter of Australia's 22 million people call home.

Mr Bob Katter, yes the one with the big white Akubra bush hat, which for all those that haven't seen or heard of Mr Katter before, is his trademark headgear.  It's not a hat pulled out of the wardrobe just for his 15 minutes of fame.  He leaves that kind of showboating to cricket legend John Howard or even drover Rudd, who, it cannot be denied, did look comical when they donned their big hats.

No, Bob Katter seems to have a very accurate handle on the situation under his Akubra.  Sure he wants honest government but he also confirmed he wants a focused government and that focus needs to be on Outback Australia's right to survive and therefore to contribute.

"If you live in a country town in Australia, every year you own a business, you know it's going to get worse and worse", Mr. Katter, a 65-year-old former stockman, said earlier in the week. "Every year, you know your kids are going to leave because there are no jobs for them.  Maybe a high school closes this year, maybe you lose your dentist next year.  The people of rural Australia have put some of us here.  They expect a return for having done that. As far as I'm concerned, they will get a return."

The three independents are all former members of the center-right National Party, which is now an integral part of Mr. Abbott's conservative coalition.  But they have all baulked at the presumption that their former allegiance makes them more likely to support a Coalition government. 

While Mr. Katter does not endorse the Labor Party, he has described the Coalition conservatives as being "about as popular as a black snake in a sleeping bag".   This stems from his farming communities being very unhappy about the free trade deals enacted when John Howard was prime minister. 

You will undoubtedly have heard this week the media making their churlish comments about Mr Katters views on imported bananas.  But hey, if your family's livelihood depended on a fair price for your home grown banana crop you'd be mighty peeved too with cheap inferior imports.

That's the trouble with urban based politicians, behaving like monkeys in the zoo, they think bananas or at least their skins are something you slip on when you make a political gaff, not an important Australian crop to ensure their voters get their daily 5 and 2!

And finally, as we bid you a fond farewell for this week, in the immortal words of the satirical 60s song,"That was the week that was, it's over let it go".  Is it perhaps a tad churlish to remind everyone, we don't know where to let it go, 'cos no one has mind a decision yet!

Perhaps our three independent 'jolly swagmen', as they are camping around their billabong this weekend under the shade of their Coolibah tree waiting for their billy's to boil, will come to a decision on who they will be supporting, so we can go a waltzing Matilda or rather a waltzing with Julia or Tony A for the next three years of fun and games tobe generated within Canberra's hallowed halls!

If the news breaks, we'll let you know.