Hung Parliament

The last hung Federal Parliament occurred after the election on 21 September 1940 when Labor and the Coalition of the United Australia Party and the Country Party emerged with 36 seats each in the House of Representatives. The balance of power resided with two independents, Alex Wilson and Arthur Coles, who supported the Coalition and thus enabled the Menzies Government to remain in office (it was sworn in on 28 October). The independents' support lasted until late 1941 when they voted against the budget of the now Fadden-led Coalition Government, leading to the resignation of Fadden and the commissioning of the Curtin Labor Government on 7 October 1941.

The UK election on 6 May 2010 resulted in a hung Parliament, the first since 1974. The Conservative Party won the most seats (305), the Labour Party had 258, while the Liberal Democrats had 57. Gordon Brown remained as 'caretaker' prime minister while negotiations took place between the parties, resulting in the coalition agreement between the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties on 12 May.

State and territory minority governments

There have been a number of state and territory minority governments during the last four decades. See NSW Parliamentary Library publication by Gareth Griffith, ‘Minority governments in Australia 1989–2009: accords, charters and agreements’.

This table summarises minority state and territory governments from 1968.

State	Election	Government	Non-major party MPs
SA	1968	minority (LIB)	Ind (1)
Tas	1969	coalition (LIB/Centre)	Centre Party (1)
ACT	1989	minority (ALP)	Minor party and Ind (8)
SA	1989	minority (ALP)	Ind (2)
Tas	1989	minority (ALP)	Green (5)
NSW	1991	minority (LIB/NP)	Ind (4)
ACT	1992	minority (ALP)	Ind (3)
ACT	1995	minority (LIB)	Green (2), Ind (2)
Tas	1996	minority (LIB)	Green (4), Ind (1), [ALP 14, LP 16]
Qld	1996	minority (NP/LIB coalition) The Goss Government lost control of the Legislative Assembly following the loss of Mundingburra in a by-election.	Ind (1)
ACT	1998	minority (LIB)	Ind (3), Green (1)
Qld	1998	minority (ALP)	PHON (11), Ind (2)
Vic	1999	minority (ALP)	Ind (3) [ALP 42; LP 36; NP 7]
ACT	20.10.2001	minority (ALP with Green’s support)	Green (1); AD (1) [ALP 8; LP 7]
SA	9.2.2002	minority (ALP with one Ind’s support)	Ind (3) [ALP 23; LP 20; NAT 1]
WA	6.9.2008	minority (LIB with support from NATS)	NATS (4); Ind (3) [ALP 28; LIB 24]
ACT	18.10.2008	minority (ALP with Greens’ support)	Green (4) [ALP 7; LP 6]
Tas	20.3.2010	minority (ALP with Greens’ support)	Green (5)[ALP 10, LP 10]