It's been tried only once federally, and ended in a government's collapse. But successful minority governments are nothing new for Australia's states and territories.
The first and so far only federal leader to try his hand at a minority government was conservative political hero, Sir Robert Menzies, back in 1940.
His attempt lasted little more than a year.
Menzies formed his coalition minority government in September 1940, just on 70 years ago, following a wartime election in which he nearly lost power and had to call on the support of two independent Victorian MPs.
The drama unfolded during the early months of World War 2, after a tumultuous period in the coalition's history.
Sitting Prime Minister Joseph Lyons had recently died, there was a rash of political defections and in-fighting, and then came the deaths of three senior coalition ministers in an RAAF plane crash in Canberra.
Menzies weathered these storms but was ousted less than a year later, after a controversial four-month wartime trip to Britain.
Facing hostility from his own party, he was forced to resign in August 1941, and two months later the Victorian independents crossed the floor in a no-confidence vote against the government.
The step led to a change of government and the swearing in of Labour Prime Minister John Curtin.
Labour leader Julia Gillard and coalition leader Tony Abbott, each facing the prospect of forming Australia's second federal minority government, may take heart from the more recent experience of states and territories.
In the past 20 years there have been more than 10 minority governments formed by Labour and Liberal, most with the support of one or more independents and some with the support of the Greens.
Monash University political professor Brian Costar says most of these alliances have led to stable governments.
"In most places, the independents behaved quite responsibly. They did maintain stable government, they didn't bring down the government," Prof Costar told AAP.
He said the convention was for minority or independent members to agree not to vote against the government on no-confidence votes and not to block supply of public service funding.
"So they give an undertaking not to bring down the government, but they say `on other matters, we'll vote as we see fit'. So it's one thing forming the government, but that doesn't mean that government will get all it wants."
Victoria's 1999 Bracks Labour government was formed with the support of three independents, and South Australia's 2002 Labor government included two independents.
In Tasmania, several minority Labour and Liberal governments have been formed since 1989 with Greens support.
Prof Costar said Queensland's 1994 Borbidge National Party government was an exception to the pattern of stable minority governments.
It took power with the support of independent Liz Cunningham.
"She just gave them a blank cheque and it was a disaster of a government, and it only lasted one term and got annihilated," Prof Costar told AAP.
In NSW, a minority coalition government was formed in 1991 with the support of independent Tony Windsor, who is now a federal MP and may join a minority government in Canberra with the coalition or Labour.
The NSW minority government lasted with Mr Windsor's support until 1995 and resulted in the Charter of Reform, a set of principles for making government more open and accountable.
Prof Costar said such reform has been the aim of many independents who take up with minority governments.
But this time, rural issues important to the independent MPs and environmental issues such as a carbon tax, dear to the Greens, would be on the table.
The Greens-controlled Senate would likely to play a part in the longevity of a new minority government, Prof Costar said.
"If it's a coalition minority government, I don't think it would run its term, because I think they'd want a mandate."
A Labour minority government, with the support of independents in the lower house and the Greens in the Senate, would be more likely to serve a full term.
"I'm not sure whether it would be more stable, but it would certainly be able to do more," Prof Costar said.
With the chances of a majority government slim, Labour and the coalition are steeling themselves for a chance to lead Australia's second federal minority government.
Whether such a move would follow the path of the several "responsible" state and territory examples, Queensland's Borbidge "disaster", or Menzies' ill-fated attempt, remains to be seen.
