State of play heading into election

THE STATE OF PLAY

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (150 seats)

Coalition 90

Labor 55

Greens 1

Independents 4

THE SENATE (76 seats)

Coalition 33

Labor 25

Greens 10

Crossbench 8

TO WIN MAJORITY GOVERNMENT

* Labor needs to gain 21 seats on a uniform swing of 4.3 per cent from the 2013 election. On paper, it has three of those seats (Dobell, Paterson and Barton) in the bag following a redistribution of NSW electoral boundaries, but loses the abolished seat of Hunter.

* The coalition can afford to lose 14 of the seats it holds now on a swing to Labor of 3 per cent.

* The latest round of opinion polls has the parties 50-50 - a swing to Labor of 3.5 per cent but not quite enough for it to win government.