Australia's Treasurer Wayne Swan said he would not be influenced by politics in deciding whether to back a $7.5 billion bid by Singapore Exchange for rival ASX Ltd , as expectations grow that lawmakers will block the proposed deal. ASX shares fell 2.5 percent on Monday after media reports that the government was set to reject the merger in the face of widespread political hostility to the deal which is currently under review by the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB). "I have no idea where those reports come from. They are entirely speculation," Swan said in an interview on Australian Broadcasting Corp radio. "My decision will be taken in the national interest and it will have nothing to do with those political considerations whatsoever."
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