Editing Tony Windsor (section)

===2010 federal election===
As one of the six [[crossbencher]]s elected to the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] at the [[2010 Australian federal election|2010 election]], Windsor was at the centre of negotiations to determine the government after both major parties failed to win a majority in their own right. Windsor, together with [[Rob Oakeshott]] and [[Bob Katter]], initially resolved to form a bloc to assist negotiations with the major parties to form government.<ref>{{Cite news
      | url        = http://www.theage.com.au/federal-election/trio-joins-forces-as-gillard-claims-right-to-govern-20100822-13axd.html?autostart=1
      | author     = Grattan, Michelle
      | author2    = Colebatch, Tim
      | author3    = Gordon, Michael
      | title      = Trio joins forces as Gillard claims right to govern
      | work       = [[The Age]]
      | location   = Australia
      | date       = 23 August 2010
      | accessdate = 29 August 2010
      | authorlink    = Michelle Grattan}}</ref> However, several days later, Windsor claimed it should not be assumed that the three rural independents would move together.<ref>{{Cite news
      | url        = http://www.smh.com.au/federal-election/independents-may-split-to-seal-a-deal-20100828-13wv6.html
      | author     = Gordon, Josh
      | title      = Independents may split to seal a deal
      | work       = The Sydney Morning Herald
      | date       = 29 August 2010
      | accessdate = 29 August 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news
      | url        = http://www.smh.com.au/federal-election/independents-could-go-separate-ways-20100828-13wxs.html
      | author     = Gordon, Josh
      | author2    = Munro, Peter
      | author3    = Darby, Andrew
      | title      = Independents could go separate ways
      | work       = The Sydney Morning Herald
      | date       = 29 August 2010
      | accessdate = 29 August 2010}}</ref> In a press conference on 7 September 2010, Windsor revealed that he would support the incumbent Labor government during [[Motion of no confidence|confidence motions]] and supply bills.  Oakeshott also threw his support to the incumbent Labor government, handing Labor a second term.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election/labor-over-the-line-windsor-and-oakeshott-hand-power-to-gillard-20100907-14you.html|title=Labor over the line: Windsor and Oakeshott hand power to Gillard|last=Davis|first=Mark|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|publisher=Fairfax Media|date=7 September 2010|accessdate=7 September 2010}}</ref>

It had been assumed that Windsor would support the Coalition due to his past membership of the National Party but on this Windsor made an analogy of him being an ex-smoker: "I've never been in parliament as a National, I gave up smoking about the same time [and] I've rid myself of two cancers".<ref>{{cite web | title=They said it  | website=ABC News|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation | date=23 August 2010 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-08-23/they-said-it/954554 | access-date=31 August 2020}}</ref>

Windsor is known as the architect of the bill which became an amendment to the ''[[Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999]]'' (EPBC Act) known as the [[water trigger]]. The new legislation forced the government through a process whereby actions by large [[coal mining]] developments, in particular [[coal seam gas]], which may adversely affect [[groundwater]] in the area and thereby significantly affecting [[water resources]], had to be assessed for [[environmental impact]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Hannam | first=Peter | title=Morrison government faces legal challenge over Adani pipeline plan | website=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=16 March 2020 | url=https://www.smh.com.au/environment/sustainability/morrison-government-faces-legal-challenge-over-adani-pipeline-plan-20200316-p54an6.html | access-date=31 August 2020}}</ref>