Election negotiations enter second week

10:18 am on 30 August 2010

Election negotiations in Australia enter a second week on Monday as political leaders continue to woo independent MPs over who will form a minority government.

Four independent MPs are in the process of negotiating with Labor and the Coalition.

The ABC reports Labor intends to reveal blueprints for parliamentary reform as part of the discussions.

Last week three of the independents - incumbent MPs Tony Windsor, Rob Oakeshott and Bob Katter - expressed their desire for parliamentary reform as part of a seven-point list of demands.

They are to return to Canberra on Monday for a week of meetings with ministers, shadow ministers and the heads of several government departments.

This week they will also get access to Treasury's estimates of the impact both Labor and the Coalition's policies will have on the budget bottom line.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has promised to provide the three incumbents with Labor's ideas for improving the committee system, giving private members' business more prominence and changing question time.

The independents are also asking for changes to political donations, campaign funding and political advertising.

Wilkie to meet Abbott

The fourth independent, Andrew Wilkie, who has claimed victory in the Hobart seat of Denison, will also be in to Canberra to hold his first formal meeting with Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

Mr Wilkie, who has vowed to keep his distance from the other independents, plans to discuss the same issues he raised with Ms Gillard on Saturday.

But he has been open with the fact that he does not feel obliged to back either major party.

"If neither can persuade me that they can deliver that, then I will take my third option - I'll support neither, I'll sit off to the side and I'll vote on everything on its merits," he said.

Mr Wilkie intends to hold more talks with Ms Gillard after his meeting with Mr Abbott.

On Sunday Mr Wilkie and Mr Windsor said they aimed to choose who they would support by the end of this week.