Oddly, the Australian result, with a Full Preference Single Member Constituency governing house, ended up with similar. 76 for confidence, the Labor party with 72, the Liberal / National Coalition with 72 (the Liberals and Nationals merged in some states, ran in coalition in others, ran out of coalition in Western Austalia), an Independent National and a Green cancelling each other out to 73:73, and four independents deciding the government, one an independent from a Labor leaning Tassie seat elected from third position with Liberal preferences, one the largest Queensland seat in tropical North Queensland, and two Northern NSW Country independents.

Three independents decided to vote confidence and supply for Labor, so they formed government, but the votes to pass anything have to be patched together from Greens, the various union-supported Labor factions, two socially liberal, fiscally conservative independents, one each from notionally Labor and Coalition constituencies, and a fairly socially and fiscally conservative pragmatist who thinks the country will get better broadband internet service from the Labor party.

Its quite a sieve to get policy through.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.