Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has retained power by a one-seat majority after winning the backing of two key independent MPs.
The country's first woman leader, who took power in a party revolt just ten weeks ago, scraped over the line to form a fragile minority government with support from the 'kingmakers', after 17 days of negotiations.
One of the key factors that swung their decision was Ms Gillard's pledge to roll out a $39bn national broadband network that would benefit rural Australia.
The balance of power of the Australian government was in the hands of three independent country MPs - Rob Oakeshott, Tony Windsor and Bob Katter.
Mr Katter earlier threw his support behind Liberal/National coalition leader Tony Abbott, giving him 74 seats and breaking the declared alliance between the three country independents who had vowed to stand shoulder to shoulder.
But Mr Oakeshott and Mr Windsor have said both contenders for the leadership of the country had promised them generous packages of offers for regional Australia, but the Labor Party had won out.
Prime Minister Gillard had secured 76 seats in the 150-seat parliament, with Mr Abbott's Liberal/National coalition on 74, the closest possible margin.
Ms Gillard had staged a shock party revolt against elected prime minister Kevin Rudd in June and announced polls just three weeks later, hoping to ride a wave of public support.
