“I think we have to be more adult about it and accept the fact that not only [will there be] more minority governments in Australia … we [also] need parties to adjust to this idea of negotiating,” he said.

Both parties each got more than 45 per cent of the primary vote in 1984, but these figures are on a downward trend. Source: SBS News

How do you win an election?

But getting fewer seats than this can still lead to a party being in power if it can gain support from enough crossbenchers to reach at least 76 seats.

What does ‘supply and confidence’ mean?

He said the MPs would reserve the right to block other legislation they disagreed with.

Neither Labor nor the Coalition got enough seats to reach a majority in 2010. Source: SBS News

How does a minority government change politics?

Under a majority government, negotiations to pass legislation happen mostly in the Senate, but in a minority government, there must also be talks in the lower house to secure support.

“Most people don’t like the idea of a hung parliament or a minority government because the first thing you think is uncertainty, unpredictability,” Williams said.

Are minority governments rare?

“We had a minority government partly in the Turnbull area, but also in the Gillard era. It’s becoming more common because fewer and fewer people are locked on to voting either Labor or Liberal National,” Orr said.

Are minority governments bad?

“You know, stuff just continues to happen.