Some people are worried that the next election could lead to a “hung parliament”, requiring power sharing arrangements between parties and independents. But Parliaments always involve power-sharing: between interest groups, communities and political movements; across the upper and lower houses; within parties (via factions); and between parties.
In a coalition government, parties make a formal agreement to share power.
In a minority government, the government relies on the ongoing support of crossbenchers.
A hung parliament is where no party or coalition has a majority of seats in the lower house (the House of Representatives)
Power sharing is common
Minority and coalition governments reflect the will of voters, are usually stable and constructive and are commonplace – including the very first Australian Government.
Minority and coalition governments make the conditions under which power is shared particularly visible and accessible. These forms of power-sharing government occur when a government must negotiate with MPs on the “crossbench” between the Government and the Opposition.
Australians have not given one party or coalition a majority of the vote in a federal election since 1975. All Australian states and territories have had minority/coalition governments in the last 20 years, and three have them now. After the last Tasmanian election, then Opposition Leader Rebecca White predicted,