Major political parties have an important role in our democracy. Ideally, they provide a necessary structure to form stable governments, but in practice, governments led by any party majority rarely yield the best results. When parties are forced to share power with a few principled Independents under minority government conditions, those independents can provide the oversight and constructive pressure necessary to help ensure legislation is formed in the open, and stands on merit.

Unlike our Federal Government, Victorian Members of Parliament are elected to serve fixed terms. This means a hung parliament can be an opportunity, instead of a disadvantage. The major party Members are more likely to spend their full four-year term earning the right to pass legislation. A minority government in Victoria can mean four years of collaboration and negotiation. It compels the major parties to work constructively with the crossbench to share power and ensure legislation is scrutinized, not rushed.

While a minority government with a few sensible independents can create balance, a minority government without them leaves Victoria vulnerable. If the major parties are forced to rely solely on other political parties to form a government, policy becomes a game of political ransom. Instead of decisions being made in the broad public interest, government policy can be pulled to ideological extremes. This means Independents are a safer option because they are free from rigid party demands and answer directly to their local communities.