Federal Labor has rejected a suggestion it jeopardised Australia's fiscal discipline to win over the support of key independents.
The chairman of the $68 billion Future Fund, David Murray, has called on the government to adopt private sector spending disciplines to prevent politicians from conducting a future
"auction" for votes.
"It sets up an unwelcome precedent where individual representatives can auction their votes," the former Commonwealth Bank chief told The Australian.
But Financial Services Minister Chris Bowen rejected Mr Murray's suggestion that Labor bought the support of independent MPs Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott to form a minority government.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
"Mr Murray's criticisms of ... say, writing blank cheques to independents, that would be appropriate," he told Sky News.
"But I don't accept that's what the government's done here.
"The government has said ... let's make sure anything we do is funded."
Mr Bowen said a minority Labor government would still return the budget to surplus in 2013.
He pointed out that Opposition Leader Tony Abbott had offered $1 billion to upgrade Royal Hobart Hospital, to unsuccessfully win over Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie.
