The growing strength of the Greens. The ACT election provided further support for the other recurring theme of recent state and territory elections: the growing strength of the Greens. The party is certain to hold the balance of power for the first time after its vote went up 6.6 per cent to 15.8 per cent, securing a definite three seats out of 17 and perhaps even a fourth. — Poll Bludger

Are the Greens attracting soft Liberal and swing votes? Two explanations for The Greens’ increased success in vote gathering tend to be posited – that they hoover up “disaffected left-wing votes” and that there are largely positive reasons based around issues and the party’s own profile and image which are attracting more voters. The two, of course, aren’t necessarily incompatible, though political journalists tend to present them as if they are. I strongly suspect there are some soft Liberal and swinging votes going to The Greens, and for a range of reasons. — Larvatus Prodeo

Canberrans suffer the price of their green delusions – and greener government. Take the price of the Labor Government’s policy to build no new dams, and drain the one it has for “environmental flows”. — Andrew Bolt 

Elections indicative of usual state federal divide? The usual crowd of political pundits have declared, as well as Bob Brown, that the trends are showing something different to the norm in electoral results. Generally, as has been the past indicators, that when a government gets on the nose, voters will go with the other major party. From the election results it seems as though there has been a shift to voting independent or Greens or other minor parties. — Alex Schlotzer

And today on Crikey blogs:
Migrants in Parliament II – the NZ election — Andrew Bartlett
New Melbourne money machine takes off — Sandilands, Plane Talking
Guest Post: Fergus Hanson from the Lowy Institute — Rooted
Page Seventeen Launch — LiteraryMinded