Liberal Democrat Gabriel Buckley. Monday's counting suggests preference deals will make him Queensland's newest senator in 2016 Credit:Gabriel Buckley Pauline Hanson is already assured of becoming a senator while former Palmer United Party senator Glenn Lazarus is looking for a new job. It is expected that once senate preferences for Pauline Hanson that come from the unsuccessful Palmer United Party (2737), the Glenn Lazarus Team (24,566) and Katter's Australian Party (27,078) are redistributed, her One Nation Party will challenge for a second Queensland senate seat. Gabe Buckley, who works as an IT consultant by day but sings Johnny Cash and Creedence Clearwater Revival songs by night, said there was still a lot of votes to count. "I don't think it is an unreasonable prediction to make," Mr Buckley said.

"It is certainly within the realms of mathematical possibility," he said. Mr Buckley said it would depend if the Labor and Liberal parties lost senators with their declining vote. "If they all fall over, it really is wide open." Before the election the LNP had six senators, Labor four, the Greens had Larissa Waters and Glenn Lazarus was elected on the back of the Palmer United Party boom in 2013. Preference deals could tip Mr Buckley into the final senate place in Queensland.

Pundits are tipping Queensland's 12-person senate will include four LNP senators (down two);

four Labor senators (status quo);

one Greens senator (status quo);

one, possibly two Pauline Hanson One Nation senators; or

Liberal Democrat Gabe Buckley, as the senate wild card. "I'm hearing some talk about Liberal Democrats," one senior Labor source said on Monday after lunch. "The reason for that is they always benefit from the confusion about 'Liberal' in their name," the source said. "And on the Queensland senate ballot paper they were further up the list than the Liberal National Party. "

The source said he was "positive" there was a preference among the minor conservative parties in Queensland to share preferences. "And I think they (Liberal Democrats) will be the beneficiaries of that." Gabriel Buckley protested the introduction of the VLAD laws in Queensland and is a prominent drug law reformist. Queensland's senate outcome will not be assured until the distribution of preferences begins. Australian Electoral Commission staff are still counting senate first preferences By midday on Monday, Glenn Lazarus had received 24,566 votes, which equates to 0.21 per cent of a senate quota.

How the Queensland senate vote works In rough terms, a Queenslander needs around 112,528 votes to receive a senate quota at the 2016 federal election. The senate result – before preferences have been allocated – shows a drop in votes for both major parties; the LNP and the Australian Labor Party. By midday on Monday there was a 7.68 per cent drop in Senate votes for the Liberal National Party. Labor's senate vote dropped by 1.3 per cent, which means they will have at least three senators.

The Greens received a 1.53 per cent increase in Senate votes, meaning Senator Larissa Waters will easily hold her senate spot. However the Greens may not win enough votes for a second senator, which would be former Australian Democrats senator Andrew Bartlett. On the raw numbers Pauline Hanson (134,286) received more first preference votes than The Greens (111,124) and – before preferences are distributed - has 1.2 "quotas". The Greens will be looking for preference votes re-directed from the ALP (399,863), the Australian Cyclists Party (10,756), the Renewable Energy Party (3444) and the Arts Party (6035) to win a second senate spot. Were we interested in southerners?

Queenslanders were not interested in the three southern state identities with high profiles; Nick Xenophon from South Australia, Derryn Hinch from Victoria and Jacqui Lambie, from Tasmania. The Nick Xenophon Team received the biggest vote – 28,091, about the same support as the Katter Party (27,078), but that represents only 0.2 of a senate spot in Queensland. Neither Derryn Hinch (7232) - with just 0.06 of a senate spot – or Jacqui Lambie ( 4953 votes) – with just 0.04 per cent of a senate spot, worried the Queensland scorers. Surprisingly only 5.5 per cent of senate votes in Queensland were informal (85,450) of the total 1.46 million votes cast on Saturday. Of the smaller of the 37 registered senate parties in Queensland, Family First polled 29,956 votes, while the Liberal Democrats (37,942 votes) finished higher than Katter's Australian Party, the Glenn Lazarus Team, the Pirate Party (6192) and the Australian Cyclists Party (10,756).

The Marriage Equality Party attracted 12,677 votes, or 0.1 per cent of a senate quota. Overall – by Monday midday – eight of Queensland's 12 senators settled LNP – vote down 7.7 per cent; outcome 4.37 senate quotas or minimum four senators; Labor – vote down 1.3 per cent; outcome 3.54 senate quota, or minimum three senators; Pauline Hanson – vote up 8.61 per cent; outcome; 1.2 senate quota, or minimum one senator;