There are about 50 registered groups competing for Senate seats this election. These include Coke in the Bubblers Party, the Smoker's Rights Party, the Animal Justice Party, Bullet Train for Australia party and the Help End Marijuana Prohibition Party (HEMP).  These parties have little hope of winning an outright ''quota'' - 14.3 per cent of the primary vote in a state (or 33 per cent in a territory). However, preference deals are being organised which could win one of them a senate seat with only 1 or 2 per cent via a ''cascading'' distribution of preferences. They are attending strategy meetings with Glenn Druery, a controversial strategist who has earned a reputation as the ''preference whisperer'' of Australian politics. These is speculation that his aim may be to help the Shooters and Fishers Party win a Senate seat. Read more here. And here.