It seems clear the nation is picking up on this problem.
Not found of Xenophon not at all, but his view offers us an answer.
In past discussions we have aired views many if not almost all in this case, do not under stand preferences.
Asked the question time and again at the polling, and hearing Liberals WARN their voters about Liberal Democrats, it is deep and troubling.
We must take this on board to fully understand the impacts.
*Only a double dissolving of both houses can stop us suffering 6 full years, at least, of madness, know Abbott to pass bills must get ALP on side.
No laughing matter! we need governments to be able to rule, mine in power too.
Now do not expect such an election.
Even if Labor stalls his every move and becomes purely negative.
Abbott understands this.
He knows a new leader and confronting its past leaves Labor much more likely to gravely cut his numbers, in both houses.
So settle in and watch this it will be entertaining and sometimes quite idiotic.

Belly, do you have any comment to make about your "Total destruction of The Greens" nonsense. Annalise the result in the seat of Melbourne and you can work out where Labor is heading long term. As I said with Rudd's (Labor) race to the bottom, last Saturday they hit it, rock bottom. Without true reform, and the removal of the influence of the conservative right Labor is lost.

To address the anomaly of a Senator being elected on a small fraction of primary votes due to mathematical vagaries of preference distribution from a large field of candidates... my preference would be:

Each voter casts 12 'primary' votes. This being one each for the number of state-based vacancies.
All these 'primary' votes are totalled.
The 12 candidates with the highest aggregate vote totals are elected.

some people may not be aware that there is a joint party committee that considers electoral matters.

Of course it is dominated by the two major parties and that is why the decisions always favour the major parties. e.g. we have compulsory preferential voting because it favours the major parties.

The issue of minor parties colluding on preferences has only come about in recent times because the major parties colluded to put One Nation last on their HTVs. One nation frightened the majors and threatened their power. So what goes round - comes round.

Belly wants to do away with the Senate and also minor parties. However we have to have the opportunity for new parties to emerge. In recent time they have made it more difficult to form a political party, by increasing the number of members required. Nothing I know of is born fully grown and some competition would not hurt the major parties. Who is to say we should only have two major parties?

I am in favour of optional preferences, I see no reason or logic behind preferences continuing into perpetuity. With the vast number of choices below the line and the huge risk of a slight slip invalidating your vote, more that 97% simply voted above the line.

The choice should be to vote above the line and grant your vote and preferences to your party, or vote below the line and allocate your preferences to 1, 2, ..., or all the parties. Saying that you want your preferences to go to a few parties and then expire is as valid a choice as any other.

Dear Belly,

The Greens didn't contaminate Labor. Greens forced Labor to have a greater concern for the environment and made things better than Labor would have been without the Greens. Rudd contaminated Labor. He was a one man band who didn't consult his advisers. In advocating a free enterprise zone for the NT he was in the tradition of capitalist exploitation. In bringing chaplains into the public schools he broke down the separation of church and state. Gillard was a much better PM, but Rudd was more popular so Labor exchanged competence for popularity. They deserved to lose.

Not having to fill in all the numbers would improve the senate ballot. A requirement that a party must have a candidate in at least one electoral district before that party could be on the senate ballot would also be an improvement.