For major party leaders, the Greens, independents and minor parties are the closest threat
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Nearly a quarter of all seats in the federal parliament are now “non-classic” seats, where first and second is no longer a fight between the two major parties.
All three of Australia’s major party leaders – Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and Nationals leader David Littleproud – have this in common: the runner-up in their seat was an independent or minor party candidate.
Second place to Albanese in Grayndler was a Green. Second place to Ley in Farrer was an independent. And second place to Littleproud in Maranoa was One Nation.
It is the first time in Australian history that every leader has been in this position. Typically, the second-place contender has been a candidate from another major party.
Having a crossbench candidate as runner-up means that each party leader holds a “non-classic” seat.
A classic seat is Labor versus Liberal/National.
So a non-classic seat is one in which either Labor or the Coalition did not appear in the final two-candidate preferred count. It might be Labor versus Green, Liberal versus Independent, National versus One Nation, or some other combination.
In 2022, there were 27 non-classic seats, up from just 15 in 2019. In 2025, there are 35.
The number of seats won by crossbenchers is down in this election: it was 16 in 2022 and 13 in 2025. But the number of seats where crossbenchers finished second has doubled over the same period. In other words, the rising independent and minor party vote puts them in contention in more seats.
Climate 200 founder Simon Holmes a Court’s commented that “There’s no silver medal in politics, but if they did hand out medals, 22 community groups would be walking away with gold or silver after last weekend”.
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Data sources: Raue (2025) The declining two party system in federal politics; AEC (2025) Non-classic divisions
Note: Excludes non-classic races between a Liberal and a National.
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