Independent declines ministry offer from Australian government

PHOTO

Offer declined: Independent MP Rob Oakeshott says he will not be a minister under the Labor government. [AAP]

Samantha Hawley and staff

Last Updated: Fri, 10 Sep 2010 21:26:00 +1000

Australian federal independent MP Rob Oakeshott has turned down an offer to become a minister in the Labor Government.

He has told Prime Minister Julia Gillard he will not join her frontbench.

Mr Oakeshott says there is still a lot of political heat around his position and there would have been problems for the regional package he negotiated if he was also the relevant minister.

"It was quite a genuine consideration over the last two days and it was a consideration in its own right," he said.

He says the package can be better delivered by someone with potentially less thorns on them than he has at the moment.

"The main consideration was the regional Australia package and making sure it survives the next three years of parliamentary life, and it not being killed along the way by political games that might get played," he told said.

"I think there are some organisations still in Parliament that may want to bring the package down via me, and if I am genuine that this package is important then I'm hoping - and it is a judgment call again - I'm hoping that it can be brought home by someone with potentially less thorns on them at the moment than me."

Mr Oakeshott says the amount of time he could spend with his young family was also a factor in his decision.

Independent senator Nick Xenophon thinks Mr Oakeshott made the right decision to stay out of the ministry.

"I just think it poses all sorts of difficulties for him. It just puts him in a very awkward position," he said.

"I think it would be a poisoned chalice for him. I think he needs to win over that part of the electorate that isn't happy with his decision to side with Labor.

"I think it'll be more difficult to win over those dissenting parts of the electorate."

Mr Oakeshott's decision paves the way for Ms Gillard to finalise the rest of her frontbench and she is likely to announce the line-up on Saturday.