One significant result of the federal election was the Greens gaining seats in Western Australia and South Australia, giving them 5 seats and therefore party status in the Senate.

So we have a shift from the Democrats to the Greens sitting to the left of the ALP, with Nick Xenophon (Independent, SA) and Steve Fielding (Family First) holding the balance of power. It is expected that the Xenophon will act in a similar fashion to Brian Harradine, the Tasmanian Independent when he held the balance of power.

So who is going to do all the legislative grunt work in the Senate? The House of Representatives is the world of political theatre, whilst it is the Senate that decides on which legislation passes through and how that legislation should be amended. The Democrats used to do the grunt work .