THE de-facto co-prime ministership of Australia began last night when Julia Gillard invited the three rural independent MPs to help her set the date for the next election in three years' time.
It is a degree of influence that Gillard did not offer any of her own MPs, a power-sharing that no modern prime minister has ever contemplated.
At this rate, the Prime Minister's office will need to be enlarged to allow room for three more desks. It is a measure of Gillard's determination to win over the independents and form the next government.
But Tony Abbott was not so obliging, on this point and also, crucially, on a request from the independents to see the Treasury's costings of Coalition policy.
The independents want to be able to see the expert Treasury assessments of the national finances under both a Gillard government and an Abbott government.
And while it is unconventional, Gillard was as accommodating as possible. But last night Abbott folded his arms and jammed his fingers in his ears, metaphorically speaking.
Is Abbott frightened or cocky? Is he determined to hide the truth of the Coalition's budget arithmetic from public view? Or just very confident that he will ultimately win the support of the three independents in any case?
In either case, it is a bad look. He just made it harder for the independents to agree to support an Abbott government.
The independents, Bob Katter, Robert Oakeshott and Tony Windsor, yesterday made seven identical requests to the two leaders in a letter, all on governance and none on pork barrelling. Gillard agreed to all seven requests.
On their request that the leaders pledge that an incoming government would serve the full three-year term, Abbott said yes, but Gillard went further: ''In fact, I am prepared to work with you to nominate a date,'' she wrote.
If she is prepared to yield on this, one of a prime minister's most treasured prerogatives, we have to believe that Gillard really wasn't kidding when she offered to run a ''more inclusive'' government.
And on the Treasury costings, the caretaker Prime Minister went so far as to agree to do all she could to give the independents access.
The trick here is that the briefings are so confidential that even Gillard isn't allowed to see them.
The public service writes two such books, one for each eventuality - a Red Book in the event the government is returned, and a Blue Book in case the opposition wins power.
It is strictly for the newly elected prime minister. But Gillard agreed to seek advice from the public service and to consult Abbott to see whether the information could be made available.
It would be a change to the caretaker conventions, but Gillard said, ''I am predisposed to assist.'' On yesterday' evidence, she really means it.
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