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Since the 21 August Federal Election, Australians have faced a unique political environment - a hung Parliament in which four Independent MPs hold the balance of power.
This situation has already driven old style party machine politics off to the sidelines - at least for the moment. Potentially it can lead to the most profound political transformation Australian voters have seen in decades. Instead of only two approaches to matters of policy and politics - Labor and Liberal - there are now five ways to explore, talk about and resolve issues facing the country. Labor, Liberal, Greens and the four Independents will each play to different sets of community interests.
It's early days yet. But this change could prove organisationally healthy and improve the national political discourse. Now more perspectives will be offered from the speaker's podium and the interests of 20 million Australians may be better served by a diversity of opinions and voices.
What do you think?