What we do have is a nation on edge as three independents decide which party they will support into a government.

The decision, we are told, is very, very close. An announcement, if not made today, will likely come tomorrow.

Currently, the vote sits at 74-73 in Labor's favour.

Seventy six votes are needed for a majority.

If one of the major parties is to form government, the independents will have to vote together.

The conservative roots and rural heritage of the independents would suggest they are a natural to side with the Coalition.

But in politics, nothing is so straightforward.

All three have hinted that it was not their preference to send us back to polls, and that they would instead be working towards delivering a government with some sort of stability.

That can only happen if they reach a consensus on who to back.

Rob Oakeshott suggested yesterday that one of the trio could be prepared to "give way" if consensus looked unlikely.

Whisperings are that at least two of the three would support Labor. If that's case, Labor takes power with the narrowest of margins.

If all three go to Labor, it would have 77-73 majority - better, but still far from a stable government.

If the result is a 75-75 split, Australia will be heading back to the polls, an expensive and time-consuming exercise and one which is likely to be unpopular with the electorate.

Even then, there's no guarantee we won't find ourselves hanging for a second time.

The most likely outcome from these weeks of negotiations is that we will end up with a government, but for the short term only.

There will be a period of settlement, but it won't be too long before we are forced back to the polls as one party or the other attempts to shore up its position.

Three years is too long for either of the major parties to wait.