Tony Abbott told us last night that a Coalition government would find $50bn in savings, although this claim was unsupported by a single costed cut or policy.
But why would he draw detailed attention to economic matters? It would be an act of strategic idiocy for the Coalition to get bogged down in such debates with the economy running as it is (unemployment down .4%, as announced yesterday). If things go as the Coalition hope, the government will simply collapse under the weight of multiple scandals, no assistance required.
For the moment, Bob Katter and Tony Windsor have stated they will defend parliamentary due process when it comes to Craig Thomson. Oakeshott is wavering, though this looks suspiciously like grandstanding. The key independents know that a new election would have them facing the people too, and they are no fans of Abbott. The situation remains volatile.