THE maverick MP Bob Katter has failed to show up for almost half the votes in Parliament but could claim to be the most independent of the independents, splitting his votes almost evenly between the government and the opposition.
An analysis of the voting patterns of the six MPs who are not members of either of the major parties shows Adam Bandt, Rob Oakeshott, Tony Windsor and Andrew Wilkie rarely supported the Coalition.
Mr Katter, whose Australia Party is furiously contesting the Queensland election, was absent for 78 of the 172 votes held since the 2010 election. But he preferred to vote only on substantive matters, his spokeswoman told The Sun-Herald.
''It's up for debate what is regarded as a substantive vote,'' she said.
''This has been a Parliament rife with party games, and we refuse to vote on party games.''
If the government or the Coalition played such games, he would prefer to be doing ''something important''.
The Tasmanian Mr Wilkie did not miss a single vote. The Greens MP Mr Bandt missed only one.
But Mr Katter was even-handed, siding with the government 49 times and the opposition 45 times. Mr Crook overwhelmingly voted with the opposition - 137 times.
Mr Oakeshott said on Friday his support for Labor would not necessarily continue if Julia Gillard lost the leadership. Mr Windsor warned a leadership change would be a ''pretty dicky strategy''.
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