Why is the new government called a coalition?
A coalition is often formed when a party doesn't have enough
support in parliament to govern in their own right. Consider the
UK, where they currently have a coalition government. In the UK,
there are 3 major political parties. If none of the 3 parties wins
a majority of the vote, then 2 of the parties are forced to form a
coalition government, meaning, that they are forced to work
together to get the job done. If a coalition cannot be formed, a
new election would be called for, or the incumbent party would stay
in office.
In Australia, the Liberal and National parties have formed a
coalition both in Government and also in Opposition