Quote Originally Posted by Ode to a Grasshopper View Post
Quick little correction here: the Senate is basically Hung as it usually is, with the Coalition usually getting their way through One Nation and whoever else they can wrangle votes from. At present there's a swing to progressive Independents and more greens, so Labor's issues are - based on current polling - more likely to swing the other way (i.e. they'll have to negotiate with more progressive Senators rather than the Coalition).
Labor had shown in the past that they were better negotiators than the Coalition when it came to dealing with a split Senate (while simultaneously dealing with a Hung Parliament as well). They got a lot of what they wanted during the Gillard/Rudd 2nd term.
If they are able to replicate that and get the results they could be ok.

We'll just have to see if the Greens get a solid block to hold the balance of power in their own right or not. I think they have shown an unwillingness to take partial victories a bit too often making them more obstructive than they should be. If they play smart they could push Labor and get part of what the Greens want. It wouldn't be everything, or as far as they want, but it would be something to build off down the line. Effectively ratchet things over time like the Right does.