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| NSW election: Mike Baird blames Labor 'scare campaign' for reduced Coalition majority | |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Mike Baird has been elected premier of New South Wales with a reduced majority for the Coalition. | Mike Baird has been elected premier of New South Wales with a reduced majority for the Coalition. |
| Opposition leader Luke Foley rang Baird about 9pm on Saturday to concede defeat with the Labor party picking up about 10 seats and a swing of about 8.6% projected by ABC against the government across the state. | Opposition leader Luke Foley rang Baird about 9pm on Saturday to concede defeat with the Labor party picking up about 10 seats and a swing of about 8.6% projected by ABC against the government across the state. |
| Baird said the election victory had handed the Coalition a mandate to “make NSW great” and blamed the seat losses on a scare campaign by Labor, vowing to win them back at the next election. | |
| “I love this State. The reason I love this State is because of its people, and friends, tonight they have chosen hope over fear,” he told a cheering room of supporters at the Sofitel Hotel. | |
| “Tonight, the people of NSW have given us that mandate. And to them, we say thank you. I want to thank Luke Foley for his concession. He did call me and I want to thank him for that. He has been a tough opponent, and certainly I appreciate his gracious words tonight and I also want to congratulate those new Labor members.” | |
| In Foley’s concession speech he said the Labor party was now back as a viable political force in NSW after a thumping at the 2011 election. | |
| “I have heard some talk tonight about Labor being back in the game for the election in 2019. Well, let me give you this assurance, in four years we’ll be back in those seats we lost, seeking to represent them over the good things we do for the people of NSW over the next four years,” Baird said. | |
| Baird thanked the prime minister for his support with the crowd cheering and chanting “Tony, Tony, Tony” at the mention of his name though when Baird acknowledged foreign minister, Julie Bishop, who was in the room, an even bigger cheer went up. | |
| Foley delivered his concession speech at a Labor party reception at Lidcombe Catholic Club where he said the campaign had “breathed new life into the state Labor party” and the party was on course to win power at the next NSW election in 2019. | Foley delivered his concession speech at a Labor party reception at Lidcombe Catholic Club where he said the campaign had “breathed new life into the state Labor party” and the party was on course to win power at the next NSW election in 2019. |
| Luke Foley paid tribute to Baird in his concession speech, saying he was “a formidable opponent and an honourable opponent”. | |
| “Mike Baird took over the leadership of his party and the government when his government had entered very stormy waters, and he steered the ship to safety,” he said. | “Mike Baird took over the leadership of his party and the government when his government had entered very stormy waters, and he steered the ship to safety,” he said. |
| “The people have decided that now is too soon for Labor to return to government. I understand their decision and accept it.” | “The people have decided that now is too soon for Labor to return to government. I understand their decision and accept it.” |
| But he said Labor had won half a million more votes than at the 2011 election. It had gone for “a rump to a real opposition party”, he said. | |
| “After tonight we now have a two-party system again in NSW. The next election is now winnable for Labor.” | “After tonight we now have a two-party system again in NSW. The next election is now winnable for Labor.” |
| He singled out wins in western Sydney, the central coast and the Hunter Valley in particular. “Today, the heartland has returned,” he said to raucous cheers. | He singled out wins in western Sydney, the central coast and the Hunter Valley in particular. “Today, the heartland has returned,” he said to raucous cheers. |
| Foley said he intended to remain leader of what he called the “revived and revitalised” party. | Foley said he intended to remain leader of what he called the “revived and revitalised” party. |
| He paid tribute to his “honourable opponent” and added: “Right through this campaign Mike Baird and I have both ensured that it was never personal. I want to thank Mike for the way he’s conducted himself during the course of this campaign.” | He paid tribute to his “honourable opponent” and added: “Right through this campaign Mike Baird and I have both ensured that it was never personal. I want to thank Mike for the way he’s conducted himself during the course of this campaign.” |
| The Greens had a strong showing, on track to win four lower house seats with Greens candidate Jenny Leong beating Labor’s Penny Sharpe in a hotly contested race in Newtown. Balmain Greens MP Jamie Parker increased his margin in the inner city seat and the northern NSW seats of Ballina and Lismore looked like it could swing from Nationals to Greens. | The Greens had a strong showing, on track to win four lower house seats with Greens candidate Jenny Leong beating Labor’s Penny Sharpe in a hotly contested race in Newtown. Balmain Greens MP Jamie Parker increased his margin in the inner city seat and the northern NSW seats of Ballina and Lismore looked like it could swing from Nationals to Greens. |
| It is the first election Baird has won in his own right, after taking over the leadership of the Liberal party from Barry O’Farrell almost a year ago. | It is the first election Baird has won in his own right, after taking over the leadership of the Liberal party from Barry O’Farrell almost a year ago. |
| Baird campaigned on the privatisation of electricity assets, promising billions of dollars of investment in infrastructure to sweeten the deal. | Baird campaigned on the privatisation of electricity assets, promising billions of dollars of investment in infrastructure to sweeten the deal. |
| Polls in the lead up to the election showed the government with a clear lead and exit polls taken on Saturday indicated a Coalition victory. However, Baird tried not to look too confident on election day saying it would only be after a Liberal party win he would be happy. | Polls in the lead up to the election showed the government with a clear lead and exit polls taken on Saturday indicated a Coalition victory. However, Baird tried not to look too confident on election day saying it would only be after a Liberal party win he would be happy. |
| “We feel good, it’s a tight race, it’s going to be tight, I’ve said that all along, but we’ve put the most positive plan forwards for the state,” Baird said as he voted in his seat of Manly, which he holds with a 23% margin. | “We feel good, it’s a tight race, it’s going to be tight, I’ve said that all along, but we’ve put the most positive plan forwards for the state,” Baird said as he voted in his seat of Manly, which he holds with a 23% margin. |
| The victory comes four years after Coalition won government from the Labor party in a historic 16% swing which delivered the Liberal and National parties 69 seats. | The victory comes four years after Coalition won government from the Labor party in a historic 16% swing which delivered the Liberal and National parties 69 seats. |
| The election campaign centred around the Liberal party proposal to lease 49% of the state’s poles and wires for 99 years. Labor were staunchly opposed with Foley arguing it would be detrimental to the budget to lose the revenue raised each year from the ownership of the assets. | The election campaign centred around the Liberal party proposal to lease 49% of the state’s poles and wires for 99 years. Labor were staunchly opposed with Foley arguing it would be detrimental to the budget to lose the revenue raised each year from the ownership of the assets. |