Talking about PM's inner circle of confidants/advisers. The cross benches are of course outside people or groups that have to be negotiated with. They have found themselves in a position of power as opposed to being powerless but of course someone is always in that position. Historicaly it has been the opposition that control the senate though that has not been the case over recent years, still if a number of the cross benches side with the ALP that control exists.
