FED:Rural MPs may finally meet leaders

08-25-2010
FED:Rural MPs may finally meet leaders

CANBERRA, Aug 25 AAP - Three rural independents who could decide Australia's next prime
minister are formulating a roadmap to power which they'll present to both Julia Gillard
and Tony Abbott.

The MPs - Tony Windsor, Rob Oakeshott and Bob Katter - will meet together in Canberra
on Wednesday morning ahead of a National Press Club forum at lunchtime.

It's possible they'll then get together with the prime minister and opposition leader
in the afternoon.

Mr Windsor said late on Tuesday night that the trio was putting together a document
for the leaders that will contain "a range of issues and questions".

AAP understands it will essentially be a roadmap setting out the path Ms Gillard and
Mr Abbott should follow in their bid to pull together a minority government.

Neither Labor nor the coalition has the 76 seats required to form government in its own right.

Mr Windsor stressed negotiations are going to take a while.

"If indeed we do meet with them (Ms Gillard and Mr Abbott) don't expect anything definitive
out of that," he said.

"The meetings we're having now are just the start of the process, not the finish."

AAP jcd/jfm

KEYWORD: POLL10 AM UPDATE

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