Disillusioned Liberal voters did not give their second preferences back to the Liberals. Like most voters, Labor got their preferences. With only about a third of first preferences, that was the only thing that got Labor over the line.

By a majority!

ttbn, Perhaps if Morrison had been given a bit longer, he could have signed himself up as minister for "everything".

Gee, we sure missed out there!

Can I enquire, as to whether there was a thread here, examining his deceptive conduct and his extended waltz with the Governor General which, I believe, was a whirlwind romance ending with Scotty showered with ministries.

It's all quite boring now ...

mhaze,

I would know a bit more about the electoral process that you old chap, having worked on many an election campaign, been present during vote counting as a scrutineer many times over the past 40 years or so. Of course not all voters follow the party HTV, there is always a drift to unexpected quarters, you most like so people would have difficulty numbering the squares, as having no experience at all, but I have. At the last Federal election I voted one Greens, but at the end of the day, like 80-85% of Green votes my vote ended up in the Labor pile on two party preferred, where was yours? Unless there is a strong third candidate, now days that's in about 15% of seats, the two party preferred vote is generally a contest between the big two, regardless of how way out and far right was your candidate of choice.

"I've written previously here that its important that disaffected Liberal supporters don't allow their preference to eventually go back to the Libs." So in 90% of contests you think their vote should go to Labor? Unless you live in Queensland there is no way you could vote for The Lovely Pauline, and then only in the Senate, and then only every second election under normal circumstances.

Hasbeen,

"I'm also surprised you believe we can avoid our votes for the house going through to one of the majors,"

Oh I know that in most electorates, the ultimate choice is one of the majors. The issue is which gets your higher preference. Pyne used to mock disaffected Liberal voters because ultimately their vote flowed back to the Libs anyway, UNLESS you preference ALP higher. For the last decade that's what I've been doing. The aim is to get the Libs out of power where they can hopefully re-examine and return to their roots. It won't happen in a hurry but I remain hopeful that it will happen, else the nation truly is in trouble.

Paul wrote: "I would know a bit more about the electoral process that you old chap, having worked on many an election campaign, been present during vote counting as a scrutineer many times over the past 40 years or so. "

Hmmmmm. I've worked for the AEC on the last 5 elections and the last three as one of two AEC supervisors for my electorate's counts. My experience has been that scrutineers know a lot about what their party tells them and little about the nuts and bolts of electoral counts.

" there is no way you could vote for The Lovely Pauline"

I was using "Pauline" as an avatar for One Nation.

So mhaze,

At the end of the day you suggest disaffected Liberal voters preference Labor, 85% of the time, so essentially they are third party voters who preference Labor, and some 15% of the time a competitive third candidate.

"I've worked for the AEC on the last 5 elections and the last three as one of two AEC supervisors for my electorate's counts." Hummmm, good for you. At least you can't spruik your far right political opinions on election day.