What is a Minority Government?
Ever wondered what a minority government is and how it shapes Australia’s Parliament? Here’s everything you need to know.
If neither major party wins enough seats to form government, one will still usually have more seats than the other. Their next step is to negotiate with cross-benchers - independents or minor party politicians - to form an alliance that secures them a majority in the House of Representatives.
This alliance is what we call a coalition (yep, that’s how the Liberal-National Coalition got their name; they are technically two separate parties, but have shared interests and so continue to work together to get the numbers up in order to form government - since like the 1940s!).
The end result is a minority government!
Is a minority government bad?
No. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
Major parties often claim that voting for independents or minor parties leads to instability. But with voters shifting away from the major parties, leaders may need to embrace cross-bench negotiations in both houses of Parliament.
How common are minority governments?
More common (and more effective) than many Australians think.
Julia Gillard’s minority government is considered one of the most productive in history, passing key reforms like a carbon price, the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and a royal commission into church abuse. The ACT has also operated under a minority government for 15 years.
Wait, how does a minority government pass legislation?
To become law, a bill must pass both houses of Parliament. Since most governments already negotiate with the cross-bench in the Senate, having a lower house majority isn’t essential. In fact, Richard Denniss, Executive Director of The Australia Institute, argues that a House of Reps majority is constitutionally irrelevant.
