Abbott sells bush credentials

TONY Abbott was selling the coalition's bush credentials on Sunday while trying to turn the tables on Labor in the policy costings debate.

The opposition leader declared a coalition government would deliver a better deal for rural Australia.

He also revealed Nationals leaders Warren Truss and Barnaby Joyce would meet this week with independents Tony Windsor, Rob Oakeshott and Bob Katter.

On the economic front, Mr Abbott said he expected Treasury to properly assess, for the first time, Labor's costings for its proposed national broadband network (NBN), mining tax and emissions trading scheme.

"As part of the new deal, any changes to costings will come out, including the costings of the national broadband network, the mining tax (and) the emissions trading scheme," he told ABC TV.

He said Labor's policies had "hitherto not (been) properly costed".

Mr Abbott had been on the back foot on the issue until Friday, when he finally agreed to the independents' demand to see "the costings and impacts of government and opposition election promises and policies on the budget".

Mr Windsor said on Sunday he expected the information would be made public.

"Those costings probably will become public but I'd have to consult with the other two in relation to that," he told ABC TV.

Last week, the New England MP described the government's $43 billion NBN price tag as "fictitious".

Mr Katter said the opposition was acting like it had "something to hide".

Mr Abbott on Sunday declared rural Australians were right to feel neglected by "city-centric politicians" but the coalition could deliver "the best possible deal".

"Let's face it, my shadow cabinet has at least six members who live outside the metropolitan areas of our country," he said.

That might not cut it with Mr Katter, however. He's been scathing of the coalition's record.

"If they were good for the bush I'm a Martian astronaut," he said last week of the Howard government's 12 years in office.

Mr Katter and Mr Windsor have also been at loggerheads with the Nationals leader, Mr Truss, and the party's senate leader, Senator Joyce.

But Mr Abbott insists they can find common ground.

"They (the independents) want to sit down with my various shadows to talk through various policy issues and Warren and Barnaby are senior shadows," the opposition leader said.

"So we'll all be sitting in a room this week thrashing out various policy issues and I think there's going to be a lot of common ground."

Mr Windsor accepted "we've got to look past the personalities in relation to this".

He thinks there could be a deal with Labor or the coalition "by the end of the week". But he admits it could take longer: "I don't intend to rush."

That view is at odds with that of incoming Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie.

The former whistleblower met Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Saturday and will hold talks with Mr Abbott in Canberra on Monday.

"I would hope to make my decision Tuesday or Wednesday," he told the Nine Network.

"We need to wrap this up quickly and get behind someone."

Mr Windsor on Sunday said there was an "orchestrated campaign" to try to influence the independents.

In particular, Liberal backbencher Alby Schultz had telephoned to suggest "we should get back to the polls and get on with it".

Mr Schultz told News Ltd the three independents were "strutting the stage with an arrogance I can't believe".

But Mr Windsor said he thought there was only a 10 per cent chance the country would head back to the polls soon.

And Mr Abbott said: "No one should be pressured or heavied."

Ms Gillard had a low-key day before this week's crucial wheeling and dealing in Canberra.

She left it to her deputy, Wayne Swan, to face Network Ten's Meet the Press.

Mr Swan ruled out doing a deal with the Greens under which the incoming Melbourne MP Adam Bandt would be offered a cabinet position in a minority Labor government.

"That is not on the table at all, certainly not on the table," the deputy PM said.

Mr Swan continued to argue that Labor was "best placed to form a very strong and effective government".