FrostedTex wrote on Jul 21
st, 2013 at 8:24pm:
So your minor parties trend left/right...it's hard for me to imagine your Green Party entering a coalition with the Liberal Party (hard to get used to your center-right party being referred to as 'Liberal'). What do they have to gain? Presumably they're being promised a portion of their party's agenda becomes part of the government's agenda which is something both Liberal and Labor could promise....so why would they ever enter into a coalition with the Liberal party? I use the Greens as an example, but I'm sure there are others.
Does everything hinge on the independents? How many of them do you have?
The Libs are roughly 50/50
small l moderate liberals and conservatives. A battle is going on within the party which is under control at the moment.
Lab was a centre left which is now right of centre.
Since the Libs looked like getting a landslide, splinter parties were created.
Katter KAP // Clive Palmer's PUP
Then we have Nats who are in coalition with the Libs
Then we have the Greens, the only left wing party.
Australia is currently a right wing country heading right.
If The small L Libs get control of their party, Australian politics will move more centre.
You forgot to mention that the "small l's" allowed themselves to be bullied into electing a nut-job to run their party....