Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says the controversy over the Coalition's costings has not compromised his ability to negotiate in "good faith" with the three key independents on forming a minority government.
Despite Treasury finding what independent MP Tony Windsor described as a "black hole" of at least $7 billion, Mr Abbott said the Coalition would deliver "substantially larger surpluses" than Labor.
Mr Abbott said Labor and the Coalition still presented two vastly competing stories on economic management - accusing Labor of waste and mismanagement.
"Certainly, there is nothing in any of this toing and froing that compromises our ability to continue in good faith discussions," with the independents, Mr Abbott said.
Opposition Treasury spokesman Joe Hockey said there were "differences of opinion" with Treasury on some matters, but they had "ticked off" on the vast majority of more than 300 of their policies totalling more than $90 billion.
Mr Abbott called for bipartisan support to set up a parliamentary budget office to ensure that ‘‘these type of arguments don’t happen in the future’’.
‘‘The caretaker prime minister is very much a latecomer to this particular cause, but it is very important.’’
It would potentially scrutinise both the government and the opposition on the same criteria.
‘‘If both parties have access to the same kind of resources, well then, both parties should be costed and judged on the same kind of basis,’’ he said.
Mr Abbott said he was very happy with the way Treasury and Finance Department officials had dealt with the issue and it had been a very constructive and professional exchange.
‘‘This has been a far better process than anything that would have been possible in the heat of an election campaign when we wouldn’t have been able to go backwards and forwards to Treasury and Finance with the sort of discussions we have had,’’ he said.
Mr Abbott said the Charter of Budget Honesty, which allows Oppositions to have their policies costed during an election campaign, was never designed as a weapon for governments to use against the opposition.
‘‘Which is what in fact this government has tried to do with it,’’ he said.
The Coalition's finance spokesman Andrew Robb said the dialogue had given them confidence in their figures.
‘‘We stand 100 per cent behind our costings,’’ he said.
‘‘What it established was there was not an error of costing - there was a difference of opinion on, in one or two cases, government being able to make the decision," her said.
‘‘They conceded that but they still ran their proposition.’’
Mr Abbott said discussions with independents Bob Katter, Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott were continuing in good faith.
He said he was confident wall to wall meetings with the trio and the shadow ministry would reassure Mr Windsor the Coalition had nothing to hide. However, it was unlikely Mr Katter would get his wish of reintroducing tariffs to boost the agricultural industry.
‘‘I don’t think we can turn back the clock but supporting and helping rural industries is part of the coalition’s DNA and that will never change.’’
Mr Abbott refused to reveal his offer to Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie who wants a new hospital for Hobart and poker machine reform.
But the discussions were good and constructive, and he understood Mr Wilkie’s concerns about problem gambling and pokies, he said.
- Staff reporters and AAP
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