Rather like recent outcomes in the UK and Australia, with no one party having a clean sweep. Perhaps dialogue and compromise will rule.
In theory, Australian Senate elections are held every three years, with Senators sitting for six year terms, half elected each time. There is no obligation for Representatives elections - a general election - to be held concurrently.
In practice what happens with a half-Senate election is that the voters feel free to lodge a protest vote against the government, secure in the knowledge that they won't change the leader, but they'll give him (or her) a bloody good reason to listen and shape up.
So Prime Ministers take good care to call House and Senate elections simultaneously. The government rarely holds a majority in the Senate, but they don't want the difference to be so large that it is unworkable.
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rosecarmine
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-04 01:08 pm (UTC)In theory, Australian Senate elections are held every three years, with Senators sitting for six year terms, half elected each time. There is no obligation for Representatives elections - a general election - to be held concurrently.
In practice what happens with a half-Senate election is that the voters feel free to lodge a protest vote against the government, secure in the knowledge that they won't change the leader, but they'll give him (or her) a bloody good reason to listen and shape up.
So Prime Ministers take good care to call House and Senate elections simultaneously. The government rarely holds a majority in the Senate, but they don't want the difference to be so large that it is unworkable.