The disparate groups are very very different to each other but ultimately they tend to support one or other of the majors with preferences. Contrary to your claims most of the cross benchers have been a thorn in the side of the Liberals. The polls and past election results tell the story. Some 90% of the vote goes to Australia’s key parties namely LNP, Labor and the Greens. The other 10% contain informal voters, Xenophon Party, Lazarus Party, Lambie Party,Liberal Democrats, Shooters Party, PUP and maybe the ALA can get a few votes in competition with this group. They might even register a quarter of 1% if they are lucky. However, on those numbers under the recently passed Senate changes they have no chance of securing any seat and so merely serve to be a protest vote. Some might say a wasted vote. Xenophon will absorb a lot of that 10% and maybe Jackie Lambie who has support in Tasmania. As for the rest, the Senate changes may have made things a bridge to far.
