1."Commentators who should know better see the inconclusive result as requiring a “paradigm shift” in Australian politics, as though voters deliberately intended to produce a dead heat...

2. It is therefore absurd to claim that a hung Parliament indicates deep dissatisfaction with the major parties or support for more diverse representation."

Only the mythmakers could have interpreted the election result as voters deliberately intending to produce a dead heat. That perception is a wild flight of romantic fancy.

However, the reality is that neither major party got up enough support to win government.So perhaps it isn't quite so absurd to claim that the result does indeed indicate "a deep dissatisfaction with both major parties."

The two things are separate, the former silly, the latter credible. Had there been widespread support for either major party, we'd have a government, as we have had in every federal election in our history.

So something has changed this time. Not an orchestrated change, that's a conspiracy theory too far. But a groundswell of exasperation perhaps that does indicate a desire for a paradigm change.

There are many commentators set on denying that the election results demonstrate anything about the voters wanting a change. But the results say otherwise. If they didn't, we'd have a government now just like we always used to.

Constitutionally the Ministers are answerable to the House of Representatives, not the Senate! Also, the head of Department, constitutionally that is, are the Ministers!
As a CONSTITUTIONALIST I would wish all those posting comments first understood what the constitution really stands for.
See also my website http://www.schorel-hlavka.com and my blog at http://www.scribdd.com/InspectorRiakti (various correspondences to the Governor-General included) and you may just learn that who forms government got absolutely nothing to do with the INDPENDENTS, Greens, etc, because the Governor-General alone determines who shall be commissioned regardless of any majority in the House of Representatives.
E. Barton was commissioned to form a government on 26 December 1900, before the federation existed, and so no Parliament either. Learn what the constitution stands for and you all might just realise you are all conned.
Currently there is not a single Member of the House of Representatives as they are all Members of the House of Representatives designate!
Parliament is to vote on bills not to decide who forms government. That is the job of the Governor-General exercising prerogative powers!