Libs now back WA Nats' regional plan

(AAP) West Australian Opposition Leader Colin Barnett has made his pitch for the Nationals' support to form government, saying he now accepts their "regions for royalties" plan.

The Nationals, who have emerged as possible kingmakers in a hung parliament
following Saturday's state poll, have made the plan a non-negotiable starting point
for their backing of either major party.
Mr Barnett met with Nationals leader Brendon Grylls on Monday and canvassed the
possibility of a Nationals deputy premier or an independent Nationals minister in a
Liberal cabinet.
But Mr Grylls was giving no indication who the Nationals would support, saying the
party would probably make its choice on Sunday after receiving written submissions
from Labor and the Liberals.
Neither major party is likely to be able to form government in its own right
following a six per cent swing against Premier Alan Carpenter's Labor team in the
election.
Both Mr Carpenter and Mr Barnett have since been courting Mr Grylls for his support
to form a minority government.
The Nationals' royalties for regions plan involves the injection of 25 per cent of
the state's mining royalties into regional infrastructure and services.
Throughout the campaign, Mr Barnett refused Mr Grylls' offer of a preference swap in
exchange for the $675 million in royalties for country WA.
But after meeting with Mr Grylls on Monday, Mr Barnett said he could not ignore the
election result and accepted there had been a strong vote for doing more in regional
areas.
"I believe we can achieve it (royalties for regions)," Mr Barnett told reporters.
"I think that is a good principle. I am accepting of that. We do need to look to
make sure we can actually deliver that.
"And, as I said through this campaign, I stand for honesty and integrity. I don't
want to be able to offer Brendon or the community something I am not confident I can
deliver."
Mr Grylls, who met with Mr Carpenter on Sunday, was upbeat but non-committal about
Monday's meeting with Mr Barnett.
"It was a very good meeting, open and frank and good relations," he said.
"I am very confident that regional WA can look forward to a very prosperous time
regardless of the decision that the Nationals make."
After counting on Monday, Edith Cowan University political analyst Peter van Onselen
calculated Labor had so far won 26 seats, the Liberals 23 and the Nationals four.
There would be three independents, while three seats remained in doubt, Dr van
Onselen said.
In Canberra, federal Nationals leader Warren Truss urged Mr Grylls to form an
alliance with the Liberals, while federal Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop said
a Labor-Nationals government would be "very odd".
But Mr Grylls has played down the idea of a natural alliance between the Nationals
and the Liberals, saying he would do what was best for country people.
Labor is holding onto the possibility of forming a minority government without
Nationals support.
Foreign Minister and senior ALP strategist Stephen Smith said there was a data entry
error in the seat of North-West and that he believed it had been clearly won by
Labor.
"So it now opens up the technical possibility that Labor could govern in its own
right with the support of two independents," Mr Smith said.
But he admitted it was a "remote possibility" because Labor would basically have to
win all remaining undecided seats.