LEIGH SALES: You mentioned the NBN and climate change before,...

LEIGH SALES: You mentioned the NBN and climate change before, and in the press conference today you said another of the reasons that you were supporting Labor was that you thought they had the most chance of seeing out a full three-year term.

You said there was a greater risk the Coalition would go to an early election because they'd have more chance of winning it.

Now, Peter Hartcher in the Herald this afternoon has written that those comments prove your self-interest and, "That on his own confession, Windsor is prepared to deny the Australian people the government of their choice so long as he can prolong his position of extraordinary leverage in holding the balance of power."

What do you say to that?

TONY WINDSOR: Well I don't apologise for it. One of the things that we were looking at - and there may well have been a 75-all decision here.

One of the things we were looking at was going back to the polls. Now I asked both sides of the parties, the Liberal Party and the Labor Party, did they want to go to the polls?

And they both said no. So obviously one of the other things we were looking at was stability and workability of the Parliament, the relationship between the Lower House and the Senate and longevity of that parliament, and it's no secret that particularly during the first week quite a few people within the Coalition were saying, "Well, if we get a deal, we'll go for as long as the polls - as soon as the polls look good, we'll be off to the election."

So, there is real self-interest in this, not for me, but for regional Australia. If this parliament can be held together, there'll be some enormous benefits accrue to regional Australia, and so there should be.

LEIGH SALES: So, does that mean you accept that part of what you wanna do is prolong your reign in this position of power?

TONY WINDSOR: My word, and I think that's what the people who voted expect. They voted in a strange parliament in this sense: that it's a hung parliament, which I think can be very exciting, not only for country people, but for everybody, including the members of Parliament on the floor.

And the longer it goes, the better it can go. You know, I don't think people want a parliament to last for six months and then back to the polls again.

LEIGH SALES: But do you then accept that in large part your fate now rests on the competence and effectiveness of this Gillard Labor Government, because if it doesn't perform well, then you will be held at least partly responsible for installing them to power?

TONY WINDSOR: Well, we've got provisions for no confidence if they're not performing well and there could be a change of baton on the floor of the Parliament too in relation to the Coalition. So, there's a whole range of things that come into play by the very nature of this parliament.

But I think people have voted and they want the Parliament to go for as long as it can, not just sit for a while and then head off to the polls again.

LEIGH SALES: Rob Oakeshott said at the press conference today that he didn't think the Gillard Government had a mandate. What do you think?

TONY WINDSOR: Well, the Parliament itself will have a mandate, and this is going to be one of the extraordinary benefits of this particular arrangement.

The executive doesn't have a mandate because it doesn't have the total numbers anymore. So, when debate occurs about particular issues or policy, all members of Parliament'll be able to be involved in the debate.

And in a sense I think we're going to see a lot more things like when we watch a conscience vote in the Parliament; people giving genuine argument to try and convince others that what they're saying is right and to give ground if they need to.

But that's what Parliament is supposed to be about, not the sort of farce we've had for the last decade or two.

LEIGH SALES: Tony Windsor, I have a sneaking suspicion we'll be talking again during the next three years. Thank you very much for coming in tonight and we'll talk again.

TONY WINDSOR: Thanks, Leigh.

http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2010/s3005432.htm