CANBERRA (AFP, AP) — Australia’s ‘’kingmaker’’ independent MPs Tuesday handed power to Prime Minister Julia Gillard with a one-seat majority, two weeks after elections produced the first hung parliament in 70 years.

‘’I will... give confidence and supply to government, and in effect that means confidence and supply in Julia Gillard unless, and I emphasize unless, exceptional circumstances determine otherwise,’’ said Rob Oakeshott, the last of the three independents to declare his support.

Gillard’s Labor Party will form a minority government to rule Australia after two independent lawmakers back her coalition.

The decision announced Tuesday by Tony Windsor and Robb Oakeshott gives Gillard’s party control of 76 seats in the 150-seat House or Representatives.

The August 21 elections failed to deliver a clear winner.

The conservative opposition controls 74 seats.

Gillard’s Labor Party looked close to retaining power on Tuesday after a pivotal independent lawmaker signaled the remaining two unaligned parliamentarians would support her.

Independent MP Bob Katter said he would back conservative opposition leader Tony Abbott to form a government but he added: “They (the other two) don’t see it the way I see it.”

But it remained unclear exactly who the two remaining independents would back to form Australia its first minority government since World War Two.

“I don’t know where my colleagues are going, but if they go the other way...she has one vote up her sleeve,” said Katter.

Gillard only needs the two remaining independents to command a majority in the lower house of parliament after last month’s inconclusive elections.

The other two independents confirmed they would hold a news conference at 3 p.m. to announce their decision, ending the country’s agonizing wait for a new government after the August 21 election ended in a dead heat.

Gillard can only form a government if both lawmakers support Labor, giving it a one seat majority. If they split, then both parties would have the same number of seats in parliament, which would almost certainly bring on another election.

If Labor does regain power, it plans to go ahead with a mining tax, a $38-billion national telecoms project and resume working toward a carbon market. The conservatives oppose all three policies.

After the August 21 polls, both Labor and the opposition conservatives finished short of the 76 seats needed to form a majority administration in the 150-seat lower house.

“If Labor get in, we’re not expecting much of a (financial market) reaction but if the coalition were to form government, we could see some upward pressure,” said Ben Potter from IG Markets.

Australia’s benchmark stock index was barely changed in morning trade, while the local dollar was just below a one-month high at $0.9150.