Australia is known for its duopolies – Coles and Woolworths, Qantas and Virgin, Labor and the Coalition. However, at least one of these may be coming to an end.
In the 1980s, Labor and the Coalition shared more than 90% of the primary vote between them and independent politicians were rare.
But at the 2022 federal election, the combined major party vote was at a record low of 68% and the size of the crossbench in the lower house reached a record high, with 16 MPs elected either as independents or from a minor party.
