MP pledges support for Labor

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Australians should know who will be governing the country by this time next week, Treasurer Wayne Swan says.

Labor took a firmer hold on the reins of power on Thursday when Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie announced he would support an ALP government in light of its promises to tackle problem gambling, parliamentary reform and to boost hospitals.

Labor now has 74 members on its side, after Australian Greens MP Adam Bandt signed up on Wednesday.

To form government, the ALP will need at least two of the three rural independents who are yet to make up their minds.

Addressing the Sydney Institute on Thursday, Treasurer Wayne Swan was asked if Australians would know by this time next week who would lead the country.

"Yes, I hope so," he said.

He was non-committal on the prospect of Julia Gillard remaining prime minister.

Asked if he was confident, Mr Swan replied: "We have to leave it in the hands of the Independents. We await their decision."

Mr Swan denied the Australian public had failed to back Labor at the federal election or had rejected its platform that the country weathered the global financial crisis well compared with other OECD countries.

He said voters were won over with the government's strong economic record.

"Let's get this into perspective," he said.

"I'm not saying that the Australian people didn't vote against the government in some numbers, they did...

"But was this one of those big swings that we have seen in post-war elections, where a government was thrown out? No, it wasn't."

Mr Swan went on to say Labor had to acknowledge what it had done wrong, and what it had done right, putting its economic record at the top of the list.

"I believe we had a strong economic record," he said.

"That's why we are still in the hunt for government. People voted for that economic record."

- AAP