[ZenGum]

The most striking thing about the situation is the total lack of hysteria, noisy protests, and so on. The vote counting won't be finished for a few days, then comes the horse trading, and most people are mildly interested, about the same way we would be in a particularly slow test match of cricket. There is a process to follow and most people seem content with that.

Several of our state governments have been minority governments lately, propped up by a few independent members who are allowed to vote against specific bills if they really want to. That is probably what will happen here.

Longer term, it might also open the door for people to take a third party - the greens - seriously. In the very long term, the greens might end up displacing labor - faction-ridden and union-dominated - as the centre-left social conscience party.