NSW Labor is preparing to form government for the first time in 12 years after the party pulled off a definitive victory, shattering the coalition’s hopes of a historic fourth term.
Labor leader Chris Minns will be the 47th premier of NSW after leading the party to a decisive victory, taking at least nine seats from the coalition, with a statewide two-party preferred swing of seven per cent.
“Friends, after 12 years in opposition, the people of NSW have voted for a fresh start,” the 43-year-old told a jubilant crowd of revellers in Sydney on Saturday night.
Labor is predicted to form a comfortable majority government, after taking western Sydney seats Penrith, Parramatta, Camden, East Hills, Riverstone, and other regional seats including the South Coast and Terrigal.
After 12 years in the political wilderness for NSW Labor, Mr Minns will lead a team of mostly debutantes, with the party tipped to gain at least 47 seats necessary to govern in its own right.
The incoming government brings just two MPs with previous government experience, in former leader and likely attorney-general Michael Daley and Mick Veitch, who is set to take the regional and agriculture portfolios.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed the jubilant Labor crowd at victory celebrations, saying NSW had chosen a better future.
“Chris Minns has been a great leader for NSW Labor,” Mr Albanese said.
“And after tonight, he will be a great premier for the people of NSW.”
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After the devastating loss, a gutted Premier Dominic Perrottet stunned supporters saying he would step down as leader of NSW Liberal Party, and took “full responsibility” for the loss.
“This next period of time will not be easy, but it will be necessary,” he told the party faithful at the Hilton Hotel in Sydney’s CBD.
He heaped praise on his opponent in a gracious concession speech, urging people to get behind him whatever their political persuasion.
“I believe he will lead with the same decency of the same integrity that he has led with so far.”
Leading contender to take on the job, Deputy Liberal Leader and Treasurer Matt Kean, demured when asked about his prospects.
“It is too early, I haven’t thought about it,” he told the ABC.
“I have been by Dominic’s side during this journey, I have seen how demanding the job is.
“Let me tell you, Dom has put everything into this.”
Another likely contender for the top job is Alister Henskens, who held four portfolios in the Perrottet government, and has kept a relatively low profile.
Perottet offers rare endorsement
Outgoing NSW premier Dominic Perrottet gifted a rare endorsement to his political opponent, telling people to get behind his Labor successor Chris Minns for the sake of the country..
“I ask everybody across NSW, whatever your political persuasion, to get behind him, because when NSW goes well, our country goes well, and that is something I believe we can all unite behind.”
Mr Perrottet, who became premier 18 months ago after Gladys Berejiklian quit amid a corruption probe, had sought a fourth term for the coalition.
The coalition governed for two years in minority with 46 seats, while Labor held 38 seats, with nine crossbenchers, including three Greens MPs.
Both leaders have campaigned hard in vital seats in Sydney’s west, where a third of NSW voters live and many electorates are on a knife edge.
Mr Perrottet was flanked by wife Helen as he voted in Beecroft in Sydney’s north on Saturday and she was again a fixture as he conceded publicly.
Liberals to regroup
Deputy Liberal Leader Matt Kean said the party had avoided the worst-case scenario.
“We were expecting a disaster tonight, were expecting to lose everything, but we can rebuild from some of the seats,” he told the ABC.
“There is a lot of soul-searching to do, but we have got something to build from.”
He insisted it was too early to discuss whether he would be a leadership contender.
“No, it is too early, I haven’t thought about it,” he said.
“I have seen how demanding the job is. Let me tell you, Dom has put everything into this.”
Former prime minister John Howard paid tribute to Mr Perrottet’s heroic campaign as the Liberals prepare for opposition.
“He can be proud of giving strong, determined leadership to the party, having taken over in incredibly difficult situations,” Mr Howard said at the Liberal Party reception.
One of the premier’s long-term staffers said he felt dejected by the result.
“It is what it is. You can’t do anything about it,” he said.
Labor has seized key seats where the coalition had retiring MPs, after 12 sitting MPs quit in the lead up to the poll.
Some high profile losses include: former minister Stuart Ayres in Penrith to Labor’s Karen McKeown, outgoing Health Minister Brad Hazzard lost Wakehurst to independent Michael Regan, and Ryde – which was held by retiring Customer Services Minister Victor Dominello – has also fallen to Labor’s Lyndal Howison.
Earlier, a Liberal Party insider told AAP the party hoped to hold blue ribbon beachside Sydney seats, including Manly and North Shore, where it faced strong challenge independent candidates.
“The independent seats right now look like they’re holding. None of them are currently, on our count, looking like they’re going to get there (the independents),” he said.
Other major coalition losses included East Hills, Monaro, Parramatta, Terrigal, Holsworthy and the South Coast, with an overall 6.6 per cent swing to Labor.
Willoughby – the northern Sydney former Liberal stronghold once held by ex-premier Gladys Berejiklian with a 21 per cent margin – hangs in the balance with independent Larissa Penn challenging Tim James.
Euphoria from MPs who’ve only known opposition
Euphoria, tears and hints of relief were painted across the faces of NSW Labor diehards as leader Chris Minns led the party out of the wilderness into the halls of power.
Decimated in 2011 after corruption and internal infighting and shocked in 2019,
Labor turned to an ambitious young leader who once called for fewer MPs to come from the trade union movement.
As the results of Saturday’s election became clear, MPs who have only known opposition lined up to effuse praise upon “a great leader.”
Tears welled in the eyes of Rockdale MP and accountant Steve Kamper as he celebrated an overwhelming and great victory of his friend and neighbouring MP.
“The way he (Minns) has conducted himself throughout the whole campaign, actually from the time he was leader, people could see (he was) the man they want leading the state,” Mr Kamper said from Labor HQ on Saturday night.
Jihad Dib, returned to parliament on a 23 per cent margin, said there was one evident element of the Minns leadership style.
“He had a new style of politics, he wasn’t into playing games, he wasn’t negative. A fresh start, he said let’s put some policies out,” he said.
The Labor leader joined elite company in the state party by winning from opposition.
Only Neville Wran (1976) and Bob Car (1995) had done so since World War II.
“He can be as significant a premier as Wran and Car,” federal Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen told reporters.
Earlier, cautious optimism gave way to pure glee as early votes showed an increasing number of Labor gains, including double-digit swings in suburban Parramatta and Camden.
“We smashed it 70-30 two party preferred on our booth. I killed them,” one party member said.
“I thought maybe they’ll need someone like me to wrangle the crossbench,” said another party official. “But no!”
Others, scarred from Bill Shorten’s unexpected loss in the 2019 federal election, played down a final Newspoll result showing a 6.5 per cent swing.
But by the end of the night, the swing was even larger at 7.0 per cent.
“We won, finally,” a Labor supporter said.
— AAP
