A record number of Labor MPs will owe their seats in parliament to the Greens if Bill Shorten wins next week's election, proving claims, denied by Labor, that the Opposition Leader will be "indebted" to the minor party.
Conservative Party leader Cory Bernardi says the Greens are hypocrites of the highest order and are are a blight on our politics.
Analysis by The Australian shows that 11 Labor MPs were gifted victory at the last election by the left-wing party despite being in a losing position before the final allocation of preferences.
Experts predicted yesterday that the number of Labor MPs who would rely on minor-party preferences to overtake rival candidates at the May 18 election will increase.
The final round of preference distributions changed the outcome of electoral contests in favour of Labor candidates in 15 seats at the 2016 federal election.
A breakdown of Australian Electoral Commission data also shows that Clive Palmer's elevation to parliament in 2013 was secured through Labor support, undermining Bill Shorten's political attack on the Liberal Party for cutting a preference deal with the mining magnate.
