Is it true that the "balance of power" is not what it seems? The Greens have proposed motions in the Senate on all sorts of subjects but Labor and the Coalition have routinely combined against them. Why will it be any different now that it's past July 1? COMMENT: It will not be any different after 1 July, which is why the issue you raise is rarely considered in relation to the balance of power. The Greens only have the balance of power when they are in a position to choose whether to back the government or the opposition. If the government and the opposition vote together, the Greens have only nine votes to 65. The balance of power will be measured in two ways. First by the government's ability to pass its legislation, whether with the support of the Greens or the Coalition. The second will be the ability of the Opposition to embarrass the government, whether by moving procedural motions, by setting up committees of enquiry, or by disallowing government regulations.