Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Tuesday won the support of independents to remain in office, breaking a 17-day logjam that built up behind the inconclusive August 21 parliamentary election, DPA reported. Two independents declared their support for Labor, giving Gillard the 76 seats needed to command a majority in the 150-member assembly. After 17 days of bargaining, Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor got behind Labor after being promised goodies for their electorates. A trio that also included fellow independent Bob Katter had held the major parties to ransom since the parliamentary election ended in a dead-heat. Katter broke ranks with the other two and pledged his support for Tony Abbott's conservatives. The three are all ex-Nationals, the junior party in Abbott's Liberal-led conservative coalition, and represent rural electorates that usually vote conservative.
