And the so-called senate "preference whisperer", Glenn Druery, who works with minor parties to engineer complicated preference swaps, predicted the crossbench would grow to as many as 13 senators. One Nation fielded 27 candidates in the election, including Pauline. Credit:Tertius Pickard In that scenario, Mr Druery said, Labor leader Bill Shorten may be able to provide more stable government than Mr Turnbull and "that is something the lower house crossbenchers should consider". Nick Xenophon's NXT Party and Ms Hanson's One Nation would be the biggest winners, despite Senate voting rule changes designed to reduce the number of crossbenchers, and the Coalition and the Greens – the two parties who teamed up to change those same voting rules – look set to be the biggest losers. Mr Druery predicted that NXT and One Nation would each claim three Senate seats, a figure Mr Green also predicted.

"I think the government will fall short of a majority in the lower house," Mr Green said, "but we will have a better handle on it tomorrow [Tuesday, when postal vote counting commences]." Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull Credit:Andrew Meares "There will be more members on the Senate crossbench and the Greens will lose a senator in South Australia," he said. Mr Druery said it was ironic that "the reason Turnbull took us to the election is to get rid of the 'feral' crossbench. That feral crossbench will now grow from eight to 12-13 senators. His plan has failed, and failed miserably". "If Turnbull can cobble together some independents, or wins government in his own right in the lower house, he will have a Senate that is deadlocked and he will need eight or nine cross benchers to get things through," he said.

"If Labor wins government, Pauline Hanson will be potentially irrelevant in the Senate because of the Greens and Xenophon, but if the Coalition wins she will very relevant. He [Turnbull] will have to deal with Hanson, Jacqui Lambie and Xenophon". "Other than the price of a cup of coffee, there isn't much the crossbench will agree on. We are at the crossroads of a rudderless government under Turnbull or three years of a government with a little rudder under Shorten." Mr Green said it also appeared now likely that the Greens hopes of claiming the lower house seat of Batman from Labor had been dashed. "I can't see the Greens turning it around from here, Mr Green said. Mr Green said that, at this early stage, it appeared the Senate numbers could break down as follows, though he cautioned counting would take weeks.

Antony Green's Senate prediction NSW: 5 Coalition, 4 Labor, 1 Greens, 1 Hanson/One Nation, 1 don't know Victoria: 4 Coalition, 4 Labor, 2 Greens, 1 Hinch, 1 don't know ("it's anyone's guess") Queensland: 4 Coalition, 4 Labor, 1 Greens, 1 Hanson/One Nation, 2 don't know ("it could be the Coalition, Labor, or the Liberal-Democrats")

WA: 5 Coalition, 4 Labor, 1 Greens, 1 Hanson/One Nation, 1 don't know (probably a second Green) SA: 4 Coalition, 4 Labor, 3 Xenophon, 1 Greens, Tasmania: 4 Coalition, 5 Labor, 2 Greens, 1 Lambie ACT: 1 Coalition, 1 Labor Northern Territory: 1 Coalition, 1 Labor

Totals (76 members): 28 Coalition, 27 Labor, 8 Greens, 3 Hanson/One Nation, 3 Xenophon, 1 Hinch, 1 Lambie, 5 unknown (1 probable Green) Last parliament: 33 Coalition, 25 Labor, 10 Greens, 3 PUP, 1 Xenophon, 1 Liberal Democrat, 1 Democratic Labor, 1 Family First, 1 Motoring Enthusiast Glenn Druery's Senate prediction NSW: The 12th and final seat would be won by the Christian Democrats or the Liberal Democrats incumbent David Leyonhjelm Victoria: One Nation are in the box seat for the 12th spot but "I expect that to change and for that seat to be won by the Animal Justice or Sex Party"

Queensland: The 12th seat a Liberal Democrat WA: The 12th spot could be a fight between One Nation and the National Party SA: The 12th seat could end up as a battle between Family First senator Bob Day and Labor Follow us on Twitter Follow James Massola on Facebook