Election 2016

[Bear]

It has to be a two seat majority. It's 76 seats to form government and that leaves 74 seats for the opposition and cross benches.

Barrie Cassidy reckons a hung parliament is inevitable with the major parties each winning around 72 seats.  The AEC has the LNP leading in 67 seats with the lead in two of those less than 0.5%.  Relying on postal and pre-poll votes to snaffle another 9 seats would be a stretch.  Still, nothings guaranteed in politics.

Have to appoint a speaker, who doesn't vote.

76 seats to form government, minus 1 equals 75 votes on the floor in the lower house. 74 on the other side (or sides now) therefore you govern with a single seat majority?

[Mav]

Aren't the Libs lucky that they don't have any factions.  :

When Turnbull said that at their national conference, there was jeering and laughter from the audience.  At least the ALP recognises that they have factions and have adopted mechanisms to resolve conflict.  The Liberals just have a free-for-all and the comservative wing seriously believes that only the far right can be true conservatives.  Imagine if the far left of the ALP were as successful as their far right counterparts in their attempts to dominate the ALP. 

[cookie2]

Aren't the Libs lucky that they don't have any factions.  :

When Turnbull said that at their national conference, there was jeering and laughter from the audience.  At least the ALP recognises that they have factions and have adopted mechanisms to resolve conflict.  The Liberals just have a free-for-all and the comservative wing seriously believes that only the far right can be true conservatives.  Imagine if the far left of the ALP were as successful as their far right counterparts in their attempts to dominate the ALP.

The populist far right is gaining in popularity world wide. Here it is still not a huge force but is growing. A very concerning trend.

[DJC]

Have to appoint a speaker, who doesn't vote.

76 seats to form government, minus 1 equals 75 votes on the floor in the lower house. 74 on the other side (or sides now) therefore you govern with a single seat majority?

The speaker has a casting vote in the event of tied vote.

The speaker is elected by secret ballot. It is convention that the speaker is from the government but there's nothing in the constitution preventing him/her coming from the opposition or cross benches.  In fact, Peter Slipper was a Liberal MP when elected as speaker during the last Labor government.  Slipper resigned from the LNP when he took the speaker's role.

[LP]

The populist far right is gaining in popularity world wide. Here it is still not a huge force but is growing. A very concerning trend.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, the hard part is to know your enemy! :o

Most media will tell you "It's them over there" that are your enemy. But in reality, as part of day to day life, it's Johnny Corporate next door that is doing the most damage! But the "corporates" are excellent at obfuscation, making sure you think it's the immigrants and terrorists who are to blame for the increasing oil/energy prices, rising food prices, insurance/health, etc., etc..

Muppets like Hanson bite harder than a Great White. Now she is attacking Climate Change Science, Renewable Energy Schemes, Foreign Investment, etc., etc.. Who do you think feeds her with that bullsh1t, ISIS, I doubt it!

[Bear]

The speaker has a casting vote in the event of tied vote.

The speaker is elected by secret ballot. It is convention that the speaker is from the government but there's nothing in the constitution preventing him/her coming from the opposition or cross benches.  In fact, Peter Slipper was a Liberal MP when elected as speaker during the last Labor government.  Slipper resigned from the LNP when he took the speaker's role.

Slipper was speaker for a minority government... you don't need to do that sort of numbers trick if you get to 76 seats.

I'm waiting for my car to be serviced and your comment about it having to be a 2 seat majority got me thinking... and i'm not really sure what the answer is to be honest.

I just thought 76 seats was a 1 seat majority because you command 75 votes on the floor (v 74 others)... if you loose 1 seat you can't form government in your own right. 

Maybe they get to 75 seats and Bob Katter ends up as speaker.

[DJC]

Slipper was speaker for a minority government... you don't need to do that sort of numbers trick if you get to 76 seats.

I'm waiting for my car to be serviced and your comment about it having to be a 2 seat majority got me thinking... and i'm not really sure what the answer is to be honest.

I just thought 76 seats was a 1 seat majority because you command 75 votes on the floor (v 74 others)... if you loose 1 seat you can't form government in your own right. 

Maybe they get to 75 seats and Bob Katter ends up as speaker.

I guess the bottom line is that you have to get at least 2 more seats than the rest in order to command a majority.  A 76-74 majority becomes a working majority of one if convention is followed and the speaker comes from the government side.

[Gointocarlton]

Dig a big hole, chuck all the kents in it, back fill it and start over again.

[DJC]

Dig a big hole, chuck all the kents in it, back fill it and start over again.

Sounds reasonable 

[Robblues]

Dig a big hole, chuck all the kents in it, back fill it and start over again.

If Kents refers to what I think it might , I am with you , do it now, no trust for the bunch