Two more sleeps ... then?, page-72

This minority thing is imo a myth. The reality is that for govt measures not to get through the Senate it needs a majority of Senators to vote against it. For that majority to be achievable it needs the Opposition, a major Party, to vote against the measures. Without which the minor parties cant block anything.

Usually Oppositions tend to vote to pass mandated policies of the govt but when they try to pass non mandated issues they can block it if they can attract the numbers for a majority from other Senators. it doesn’t matter where the votes come from its always a majority that is needed and that is as it should be. Sometimes although rare, even govt Senators cross the floor and vote against their own side.

A majority of the Senate is entitled to make decisions on govt legislation. Thats what the Senate is about. You don’t see govt’s crying when minor party senators vote with them to pass Bills eg the Greens recently got into bed with the govt and passed legislation that gives perceived voting advantage to the govt and the Greens. It works both ways. When a majority of the Senate see legislation as being un-mandated or lacking in merit they are entitled to vote against and it needs a majority of Senators to vote against it to not pass. So somehow trying to pass responsibility to the handful of individual independent Senators is a red herring. On their own they are unable to block bills. They only make an impact when they side with either the govt or the Opposition to create the needed majority.