Hey @AuSenate a question: if a third party had more Senate seats than Labor, and the Coalition were in power, who would be the opposition in the senate? Labor, or the third party?
Hi there. The answer to this (and many more!) questions can be found in Odgers' Australian Senate Practice https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Odgers_Australian_Senate_Practice/Chapter_06#h09 …
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All I can find is that the opposition are the ‘largest party not forming part of the ministry’. That doesn’t quite clear it up, because largest in which chamber? This is a complex question that’s never come up before, I imagine.
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Perhaps
@AntonyGreenABC knows? -
It will be the person the President acknowledges as Leader of the Opposition.
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Ah, OK. So presumably in that situation, both parties with a claim on it would argue it out. That would be an interesting debate. There’s no precedent is there? I believe Canada has had this come up.
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Relevant examples are the choice of lower house opposition leader in NSW in 1980 when the Liberals and nationals out of coalition had the same numbers, and the choice of opposition leader in the current NT Legislative Assembly.
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Font of knowledge as always.
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The answer to your question is there is not an answer. These things go by precedent. When an unprecedented result such as the one you suggest occurs, great minds will whir away and make a decision that sets the precedent on what should occur.
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Ah, the delights of a convention-based political system! Thanks for your help!
End of conversation
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