NSW premier-elect Chris Minns ran a small-target campaign but appears to have won big in Saturday’s election.
Labor is on track to form a majority government, picking up at least nine seats from the Coalition and looking likely to get the 47 required to govern in its own right.
It’s the third time since World War II that NSW Labor has managed to go from opposition to government, and the victory comes after 12 years in opposition.
Minns took the stage at Novotel in Brighton-Le-Sands to thank his supporters for securing the win.
“It’s undeniably the case that this election campaign perhaps uniquely was a model of respect and civility and neither party took the low road,” Minns told the crowd.
“Neither political party took the low blow. And I think it can be a model for the way democracy is done right across this country.
“Now, I can’t say that every election campaign in the future will be conducted the same way. But from now on, no one will be able to say that it can’t be.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who welcomed Minns on stage, told the Labor Party function the premier-elect represented the party at its best.
“Friends, tonight the people of NSW have come together to choose a better future,” Albanese said.
“I have had the very good fortune of knowing Chris for many, many years. And what I know, without doubt, is that he embodies all that is best about the Australian Labor Party”.
Dominic Perrottet called Minns to congratulate him shortly after 9pm, and then left his house in his electorate of Epping to travel to the Liberal Party’s election function at Sydney’s Hilton hotel.
“I believe this election was truly a race to the top, and a genuine battle of ideas — that’s when politics is at its best,” Perrottet told his party faithful, standing beside his wife Helen.
“That’s due to Chris Minns and the way that he’s carried himself throughout his campaign. And that’s why I truly believe and have no doubt that he will make a fine premier.
“I ask everyone across NSW, whatever your political persuasion, to get behind Minns.”
Labor ran a campaign focused on reforming education and health care, seeking to improve access to both and aiming to make salaries for workers in those industries more competitive.
There were promises to curb toll costs in Sydney, aimed at cutting the cost of living and wooing voters in the city’s west.
It appears to have worked: the must-have seats of Parramatta and Penrith were among the ones that were projected to fall to Labor at the time of writing.
