Maria Maley, Australian National University and Marian Sawer, Australian National University
It’s widely acknowledged that the way parliamentary staffers are allocated is problematic – yet a recent review did not seize the opportunity to fix it.
While Labor has the numbers in the lower house, it would need one additional vote beyond the Greens if the opposition opposed the legislation in the Senate.
Labor’s climate and energy policies provide an important foundation for progress. But the crossbenchers, whether they hold the balance of power or not, will demand far more.
View from the crossbench: Cathy McGowan and Rebekha Sharkie on the role of community candidates
McGowan and Sharkie have given the government their confidence until the Wentworth byelection - after which they will consult with their electorates.
Centre Alliance candidate Rebekha Sharkie is polling strongly ahead of next weekend’s byelection in the South Australian seat of Mayo.
AAP/Roy Vandervegt
With just over a week until the Super Saturday byelections, there is great interest in each of the five seats in play, including Mayo in South Australia.
Liberal candidate Georgina Downer, Greens candidate Major ‘Moogy’ Sumner, Centre Alliance candidate Rebekha Sharkie and Labor candidate Reg Coutts at the Mayo candidates forum.
David Mariuz/AAP
The departure of up to two crossbench senators and the uncertainty over who might replace them is giving the government fresh obstacles in their efforts to pass legislation.
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has won four Senate seats – two, including Hanson’s, in Queensland, one in NSW and one in Western Australia.
Five crossbench members of the House of Representatives will take their seats in the 45th parliament, including Bob Katter, Andrew Wilkie, and the Nick Xenophon Team’s Rebekha Sharkie.
Lucas Coch/AAP
Crossbencher Bob Katter has given his support on supply and confidence to a Coalition government after a meeting with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Brisbane.
Since he took over as Nationals leader earlier this year Barnaby Joyce has played a tight team game.
David Moir/AAP
Within the Coalition the only cheer is among the Nationals who could actually gain one in their numbers at an election where the government has lost a swag of seats.
Malcolm Turnbull said he remained ‘quietly confident, reasonably confident’ of forming a majority government.
David Moir/AAP
Malcolm Turnbull has taken ‘absolutely full responsibility’ for his criticised election campaign, and declared the Coalition must rebuild public trust in itself on the issue of Medicare.