Queensland independent MP Bob Katter says Opposition leader Tony Abbott cannot be assured of his vote should it seek to move a no-confidence motion in the government over embattled MP Craig Thomson.
"He (Mr Abbott) is not entitled to it, nor is Kevin Rudd entitled to it," he told the Ten Network on Sunday.
Mr Thomson, who is crucial to the survival of the Gillard minority government, is being investigated over allegations that he misused a union credit card when he was head of the Health Services Union.
Mr Katter said Prime Minister Julia Gillard had experienced a range of problems. "The decision the carbon tax is just a dreadful decision. Kevin Rudd had the courage to reverse his decision on because he realised it was wrong," he said.
"Julia needs to do the same thing. Her difficulty is that she hasn't done it."
Mr Katter predicted his new Katter's Australian Party, making its first appearance in the campaign for the upcoming Queensland election, would far exceed the performance of Pauline Hanson's One Nation at the 1998 state election.
He said One Nation had polled five per cent in opinion polls ahead of that election, but had gone on to score 23 per cent and win 11 seats. The latest Galaxy poll places Katter's Australian Party at four per cent.
Mr Katter said conventional polling just didn't get it right with such parties, with his group really polling about 28-29 per cent.
"If she (Pauline Hanson) had got an extra 6000 votes, she would have won 21 seats. We intend to win plenty more than 21 seats, I can tell you that, and we are polling the same as she was polling conventionally at the time," he said.
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