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SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's hopes of forming a government after deadlocked polls rose Thursday when the opposition was accused of a policy blow-out of up to US$10 billion.
Tony Windsor, one of the "kingmaker" MPs weighing whether to hand power to Gillard or Tony Abbott's conservative opposition, said an official Treasury tally had revealed a discrepancy of seven to AUD$11 billion in spending plans.
Windsor said the figures raised questions about whether Abbott had been honest with voters about the cost of his policies, and whether he could trust the Liberal/National coalition enough to support it in a minority government.
The August 21 elections left both major parties short of an absolute majority, the first hung parliament in 70 years, triggering rare political paralysis in a country noted for its stability.
"Essentially what we're after... is a judgment on two different teams that want to be the government for the next period of three years," Windsor said.
"One of those things that we have to establish is trust in what they're actually saying."
Fellow independent Rob Oakeshott also expressed concern, while Treasurer Wayne Swan said the opposition had not been honest with the public.
"I think this is either deliberate dishonesty or incompetence or both," he said.
But coalition finance spokesman Andrew Robb dismissed the blow-out as a "difference of opinion", saying the Treasury used different models and data to assess the costs of policies pledged during campaigning.
Both sides have promised to return the budget to surplus by 2013, and have been vying for nearly two weeks for the support of the four independents to form government.
As final postal ballots are counted, Gillard and Abbott have 73 seats each, according to public broadcaster ABC, three short of a majority, including respective alliances with the Greens and conservative cross-bencher Tony Crook.
Bookmakers said the costings dispute had shortened Gillard's odds of remaining as prime minister, although prices are swinging wildly and Abbott remains the narrow favourite.
-AFP/wk
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