Another Lazarus-like return from the political dead is under way in Tasmania.
Days after it became clear Labor's Lisa Singh had defied her relegation by factional bosses to survive as a senator, powered by below-the-line votes of supporters, Liberal Richard Colbeck appears to be on track to do the same.
Senator Colbeck, the tourism minister in the last Parliament, looked to be written off earlier in the week when he was left out of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's reshuffle.
But after the latest counting in Tasmania, his chances of re-election have improved markedly.
In the most recent update, he has leapfrogged the Greens' Nick McKim and is currently in position to take the 12th and final seat in Tasmania.
Senator Colbeck, who was dropped to fifth on the Liberal Party ticket despite being on the frontbench, has so far pulled more than 11,500 direct votes, about 4000 more than leading Tasmanian conservative Eric Abetz.
He has just under half a quota in his own right and some poll-watchers believe a flow of preferences from right-leaning micro-parties could ensure he now stays ahead of the Greens.
The loss of Senator McKim, along with a loss of one Greens senator in South Australia and Western Australia will leave party supporters wondering about the decision of Leader Richard Di Natale to sign up to Senate voting reforms ahead of a double dissolution election.
Senate expert, Jody Fassina of Insight Strategy, said Senator Colbeck should do better than Senator McKim on preferences due to a higher vote for right-leaning minor parties like One Nation and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party.
"I'd prefer to be in Richard Colbeck's position than Nick McKim's," he said.
In similar circumstances, Senator Singh will win through despite being shafted by factional operators into the "unwinnable" sixth spot on the ALP ticket.
She now has a whopping 18,000 primary votes - or about a fifth of the votes given to the ALP as a whole.
Her support has been so emphatic that she could get elected in front of Labor's fourth on the ticket, Senator Catrina Bilyk.
