SMH September 11, 2010
One upshot from this election result is that for the first time in a very long time, millions of Australians are able to say that they know how many members there are in the House of Representatives and how the numbers fall among the 150 men and women elected to that chamber.
Governments are made and unmade on the floor of the House. As for the national vote, all seats are decided on preferences, not primary votes. On Thursday, Labor overtook the Coalition on the progressive count. At 5.30pm yesterday, Labor was on 50.09 per cent of the vote - 22,000 votes ahead of the Coalition.
It's not the final total, of course, and the difference is trifling when you consider that almost 12 million votes have been counted. But it seems to have become an accepted fact, because Liberal frontbenchers keep saying it, that the Coalition attracted more votes than Labor and thus has a moral right to power.
At this stage, the Coalition has fewer votes. Does it matter? Well, the truth should matter.
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