▁res erves ▁of ▁ko ala ▁habit ats . ▁Bor b idge ▁har ness ed ▁the ▁ground ▁sw ell ▁of ▁opposition ▁ar ising ▁from ▁this ▁and ▁other ▁controvers ial ▁dec isions ▁to ▁encou rage ▁a ▁large ▁protest ▁vote . ▁Com b ined ▁with ▁the ▁c yn ical ▁m ood ▁eng ender ed ▁by ▁the ▁un pop ular ▁Ke ating ▁Labor ▁federal ▁government , ▁this ▁protest ▁vote ▁nearly ▁destroyed ▁the ▁G oss ▁government ' s ▁majority ▁in ▁the ▁July ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁election . ▁While ▁the ▁Co al ition ▁won ▁the ▁popular ▁vote , ▁most ▁of ▁that ▁vote ▁was ▁was ted ▁on ▁large ▁marg ins ▁in ▁the ▁National s ' ▁heart land . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁while ▁it ▁managed ▁an ▁eight - se at ▁swing , ▁it ▁won ▁only ▁nine ▁seats ▁( out ▁of ▁ 4 0 ) ▁in ▁Br is b ane , ▁allowing ▁G oss ▁to ▁rely ▁on ▁a ▁majority ▁of ▁one ▁vote ▁in ▁the ▁Legisl ative ▁Assembly . ▁The ▁Court ▁of ▁Dis put ed ▁Returns ▁ordered ▁a ▁re ball ot ▁after ▁alleg ed ▁irregular ities ▁in ▁the ▁narrow ly ▁Labor ▁held ▁elect or ate ▁of ▁M und ing bur ra , ▁which ▁the ▁Co al ition ▁had ▁lost ▁by ▁only ▁ 1 2 ▁votes . ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁the ▁Liberal ▁candidate , ▁Frank ▁T anti , ▁won ▁the ▁subsequent ▁by - e lection . ▁This ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁hung ▁parliament ▁with ▁ 4 4 ▁Co al ition ▁seats ▁and ▁ 4 4 ▁Labor ▁seats