Independent MPs Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor delivered Hunter and Newcastle MPs Joel Fitzgibbon and Sharon Grierson back into government and condemned Paterson MP Bob Baldwin to a further three years in opposition with their decisions to support Labor yesterday.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard will preside over the first minority government in Australia since 1940.

North Queensland independent MP Bob Katter broke ranks with Mr Oakeshott and Mr Windsor before the scheduled press conference at 3pm yesterday to announce he would back the Coalition.

The result was delivered more than two weeks after Australians cast their votes in the August 21 election and after 17 days of agonising by the three country independent MPs.

Mr Fitzgibbon said now the hard work would begin.

He will head to Canberra today, ahead of a caucus meeting tomorrow.

After watching the announcement by Mr Windsor and Mr Oakeshott in his Cessnock office, he told the Mercury the return of Labor was advantageous for the Hunter.

“The Hunter Expressway will be built in three years – I was very concerned the Coalition would delay it – and the National Broadband Network can be rolled out,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

“And under a Labor government, the community gets a better share of the mining industry profits.”

Newcastle MP Sharon Grierson said Labor would also deliver benefits to her electorate, which covered Thornton, Woodberry, Beresfield and Tarro.

Mr Fitzgibbon hoped his name might also be included when the new ministry was expected to be announced by the end of the week.

And he was confident Labor, with the support of Melbourne Greens MP Adam Bandt and independents Mr Oakeshott, Mr Windsor and Denison MP Andrew Wilkie, could work together.

Mr Baldwin was less optimistic.

The Liberal Paterson MP, who recorded a convincing win in the region’s only marginal seat on August 21, predicted Australia would return to the polls before the three-year term expired.

“I think we’ll be going to the polls pretty quickly,” he said. “Oakeshott talked a lot about stability of government, but [Gillard] has had the most unstable government we’ve had in a long time by knifing a prime minister [Kevin Rudd].”