More Australians voted outside the major parties at this election than at any other time in the post-war era.
- Australia Institute polling research finds 70% of Australians say the Senate should review and scrutinise every government policy on its merits.
- Only 12% say the Senate should support every policy that the government took to the election.
- The Greens are likely to hold the sole balance of power in the Senate, not just for this term of parliament, but for the next as well.
- The Greens' vote in the Senate has increased since 2022 (per current count).
- The combined major party vote is at a historic low, with 33.1% of Australians voting for a minor party or independent (per current count) - up from 31.7% in 2022 and 8.5% in 1980.
- In every state but Queensland, the independent and minor party vote exceeds the Coalition vote (per current count).
"The Albanese Labor Government has won a historic victory, and faces no parliamentary barriers to being ambitious on climate action, housing, social services, welfare and open government reform," said Bill Browne, Director of the Australia Institute's Democracy & Accountability Program.
"While the Greens' numbers in the House of Representatives have gone backwards, with even party leader Adam Bandt's seat in doubt, their position has improved in the Senate – both in number of votes and seats held."
"A good performance for both Labor and the Greens in the Senate means the Greens will likely have the sole balance of power in that chamber - not just for this term of Parliament but in the next as well.
"Australia Institute polling research shows that Australians overwhelmingly expect the Senate to perform its constitutional role of reviewing and scrutinising every government policy on its merits.
"With the strong Greens result in the Senate likely to give them sole balance of power, the responsibility to review and scrutinise the government will fall particularly on them.
"Independent and minor party parliamentarians have a key role to play in holding the Government to account, demanding transparency from government, asking probing questions of senior public servants and putting forward private members' bills that identify positive law reforms.
"As if there were ever any doubt, this election proves that Australia's system of full preferential voting means you cannot waste your vote. In key seat races, progressive Australians had a genuine choice between Labor, Greens and independent candidates - but with the ability to preference the others. That ensures that seat races are competitive, even in seats that on two-party preferred terms would be 'safe'."
