With the election campaign a week in, both major parties remain deeply concerned about whether they can secure enough seats to form a majority government.
But opinion polls have shown a trend that suggests both the Coalition and Labor are not performing strongly enough to win the 76 seats needed to secure government on their own.
The latest Newspoll has Labor on 36 per cent of the primary vote with the Coalition on 35 per cent, meaning that almost a third of those polled don't support either of the major parties ahead of the election on 21 May.
This suggests almost one in five voters remain undecided heading into the poll and if an election was held today, neither side would achieve an outright majority, instead facing a hung parliament.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed this prospect on Tuesday, warning a parliament controlled by independents would risk creating chaos and uncertainty.
"You can vote for the stability and certainty that we've been able to provide or you can vote for the chaos and instability of independents," he told reporters in Perth.
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese has also ruled out deals with independents and the Greens, saying he is campaigning to form a majority-Labor government.
"There will be no deal with the independents and crossbenchers," he told Brisbane radio station 4BC on Tuesday.
The prospect of a hung parliament has been added to by the campaigns of so-called teal independents, who have received the backing of the Climate 200 movement.
A number of these candidates are challenging sitting MPs in their blue ribbon electorates - running on pro-climate platforms and also backing calls for a federal-anti corruption body.
The candidates are yet to state which side they would guarantee supply and confidence to in the event of a hung Parliament.
What is a hung parliament?
A hung Parliament results when no party has more than half the MPs in the House of Representatives.
This means no party can pass laws without gaining support from the crossbench or other parties in the lower house.
The last hung parliament in 2010 came after Labor prime minister Julia Gillard entered into 17 days of negotiations with the crossbench.
Opposition leader Tony Abbott speaks aross the table to Prime Minister Julia Gillard during House of Representatives question time at Parliament House in Canberra. Source: AAP / ALAN PORRITT/AAPIMAGE
The party ultimately secured the support of three of the four independents (Tony Windsor, Robert Oakeshott, and Andrew Wilkie) - the other being Bob Katter.
The crossbenchers' support came in return for concessions, which varied from a promise to act on carbon pricing as well as the pledge to run a full term.
What's been the impact on this campaign?
With both parties insistent in their commitment to form a majority, political messaging has offered an insight into how the hung parliament prospect is being countered.
The Labor Party is going on the offensive, strategically switching to a negative campaign, targeting the prime minister personally over his performance.
Meanwhile, the Coalition released modelling on Tuesday claiming Labor's energy policies will add more than $500 to individuals' annual energy bills. Labor hit back, saying the figures were made up.
The Coalition has also sought to attack Labor as an unknown commodity that can’t be trusted, as Labor in turn accuses them of failing to have a vision for the future of the country.
The insistence of leaders that they are determined to form a majority government in the election on 21 May also doesn't mean the parties would stick to their guns on polling day.
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