It is that time in the election cycle where journalists pretend they understand minority government.

Take this example from the Nine Network this morning:

Host: Just finally, despite repeatedly denying a deal with the Greens, Albo is preferencing them in his own seat. This Greens candidate in Grayndler claims Israel is guilty of genocide. Do you know anything about that preferencing? Do you have a problem with it? Do you think that’s a good look? Especially given how many times he said that he won’t do a deal with the Greens.
 
Richard Marles: Well, we’re not doing a deal with the Greens. And what we’re encouraging Australians to do is to put one next to the Labor box. And in that event, you know, wherever we’re preferencing won’t be relevant. But we are definitely not doing a deal with the Greens and the Prime Minister–
 
Host : It’s relevant. If you’re saying vote Greens second, it’s hardly saying let’s not do a deal with the Greens ever.
 
Marles: Karl, I am very, very confident that in the seat of Grayndler, the Prime Minister’s preferences will not be distributed.
 
Host: That’s probably right.
 
Marles: What will happen there is that people will be voting one for Anthony Albanese–
 
Host: It’s the principle though!
 
Marles: There is not going to be a deal with the Greens–
 
Host: It’s about the optics.
 
Marles: Okay, well, here’s the principle. No deal, no deal with the Greens. No deal with the Greens. No deal with the Greens. No ifs, no buts and Anthony could not have been clearer. And I could not be any clearer right now.

What ‘deal’ are they talking about? What do they think happens? Do we talk about doing a ‘deal’ when governments fall short in the senate (which is most of the time?)

No. We don’t.

The government will be the party with the most seats who can negotiate among the crossbench support for legislation. No one will stand in the way of supply – that’s an understanding, but it is a case by case basis for legislation. In terms of confidence – will that is only an issue if someone brings a no confidence motion in the government, which is supported by most of the chamber. That again is a hypothetical.

There is a minority government in NSW right now. The NSW Labor government, has the confidence of three crossbenchers, which is how it holds the lower house. And then it negotiates on legislation.