Reform to have rules for a hung parliament without back to the polls again

Comments on Peter van Onselen “Back to the ballot box if the talks just drag on”, 28/08/2010, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/commentary/back-to-the-ballot-box-if-the-talks-just-drag-on/story-e6frgd0x-1225911098798
While going back to the polls may be a better option than the current farciful bargains when the nation is at the hands of a few independents, the nation could do better to reform the election, parliament and government systems.

What should the nation do if another election soon also produce a hung?

The nation could do better to reform the election, parliament and government systems to deal effectively with a hung parliament.


The current situation has significant shortcomings:

the nation and the major parties are held hostages by a few handful parliamentarians;

there is a lack of fair and just method for the major parties to form a workable government;
there is a risk that the nation needs to go back to the pool again very soon; and

it is more difficult to have fixed term election.

So, ideally there should be a set of rules to resolve a hung situation when it occurs.

They may involve who should form government unambiguously in a hung, using a cascading rules.

They should also involve how the supply is decided if the government's budget can't be passed. Here there should some rule to let the government function with minimum spending, and some policy proposals not exceeding certain amounts should be allowed once they have passed pre-specified criteria by a parliamentary budget office.