Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Voters want independent MPs to go with Coalition - poll

Updated at 10:00 am on 28 August 2010

A new poll shows an overwhelming number of voters in the seats of the three rural independent MPs want them to support the Coalition.

Independent MPs Tony Windsor, Rob Oakeshott and Bob Katter are expected to hold the balance of power in a hung parliament and have put a set of demands to the major parties as they consider which side to support.

The Newspoll published in The Weekend Australian newspaper shows the highest support for a Tony Abbott-led Coalition government is in Mr Katter's seat of Kennedy.

The ABC reports 56% of those surveyed in the north Queensland electorate prefer the Coalition, while 29% support Labor.

Voters in Mr Windsor's New South Wales seat of New England favour a Coalition government by 55% to 35%, according to the poll.

The poll found the lowest level of Coalition support in the NSW seat of Lyne, held by Mr Oakeshott - 52% prefer the Coalition and 38% prefer Labor.

Counting is continuing but the ABC reports the Coalition is likely to hold 73 seats to Labor's 72.

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