What we know tonight
Labor leader Chris Minns will be New South Wales’ next premier, delivering a victory speech to a jubilant crowd of Labor supporters at the party’s election nigh function in Sydney where he was welcomed by prime minister Anthony Albanese.
While that’s the headline, the count is not yet done. Here’s a summary of what we know just before midnight:
Labor are on track to form a majority government, with results in a few key seats still unclear late on Saturday as counting ended for the night. Various vote counts have Labor hovering at the 47 seats needed for majority government.
Dominic Perrottet will stand down as New South Wales Liberal leader, he announced in a concession speech in which he said he feels a “profound sense of gratitude” to have led the state. Former treasurer Matt Kean, when asked if he was interested in the leadership, said it was too early to say.
Both Perrottet and Minns heaped praise on each other for waging a fair campaign.
The Coalition have lost a slew of seats, including many once considered safe Liberal seats. Wakehurst, held by retiring health minister Brad Hazzard, has been won by independent Michael Regan. Liberal MP Stuart Ayres appears to have lost his seat of Penrith to Labor, as many other Liberal-held western Sydney seats fell to Labor.
The outcome in several key seats is still unclear. Willoughby is on a knife-edge, with independent challenger Larissa Penn ever so slightly leading Liberal MP Tim James. Independent challenger in Wollondilly Judy Hannan is also the (slight) favourite over Liberal MP Nathaniel Smith.
With that, we’ll wrap up our live election blog for the night. You can read more of our coverage from today here.
Premier-elect Chris Minns’ victory speech:
Updated
‘Back and ready’: Chris Minns leads Labor to power after 12 years in opposition at historic 2023 NSW election
Labor is on track to form majority government in New South Wales after 12 years in opposition, with the party leader, 43-year-old former firefighter and political staffer Chris Minns, declaring the party is “back and ready to govern in this great state”.
As counting ended on Saturday night, Labor had picked up at least nine seats, enough to govern in majority and a better-than-expected result for the party after big swings in many previously safe Coalition seats.
The result means Minns will become the first Labor leader to win government from opposition in NSW for almost three decades and sees the Coalition relegated to the opposition benches in every parliament on mainland Australia.
Read more from Michael McGowan and Tamsin Rose:
Northern beaches seat of Wakehurst falls to independent, but Liberals hold on in Manly and Lane Cove
The independent mayor of Northern Beaches council, Michael Regan, has romped to victory in the New South Wales state seat of Wakehurst, snatching the previously blue-ribbon Liberal seat held by the retiring health minister, Brad Hazzard, with a 27.5% swing.
Regan won with a decisive 56% of the two-party preferred vote, ending decades of Liberal dominance in the region.
The win means that independents now represent the northern beaches at federal, state and local level.
The strong showing by independents on the northern beaches will raise questions for the Liberal party, which selected candidates late and chose men who had worked for the party.
Read more on how independents fared this election:
Updated
Victoria’s premier Daniel Andrews has congratulated Chris Minns on his victory.
New South Wales has voted for a government that'll do what good Labor governments do - get things done, and deliver good and publicly-owned services.
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) March 25, 2023
I know that's what @ChrisMinnsMP and his government will do.
And Victoria will be very happy to work with you.
Labor’s victory in NSW means there is a Labor government in power across every mainland state and territory. (Tasmania’s government is Liberal)
If he forms a majority, Minns will be just the third to achieve it from opposition since Bill McKell in 1941. Neville Wran and Bob Carr are the only others to have done it, in 1976 and 1995 respectively.
Updated
Less certainty around close seats
A number of seats that various TV networks were eager to call early now appear far less certain, as the count broadly progresses to 50%-60% of the vote.
The ABC is now projecting Labor to win Holsworthy by just 0.6%.
Labor is now projected to win Kiama by 1.8% – held by ex-Liberal turned independent Gareth Ward.
In Wollondilly, the ABC is projecting independent Judy Hannan will win by a margin of 0.7%.
Independent Larissa Penn’s projected lead in Willoughby has also shrunk. The ABC are projecting her as 0.2% ahead of Liberal Tim James.
Updated
Watch Dominic Perrottet’s concession speech here:
Minns says Labor win ‘a vote against privatisation’
Premier elect Chris Minns has said Labor’s victory in the New South Wales election was at least in part fought over privatisation.
It’s undeniably the case that today’s election was also a decisive vote against privatisation. To retain Sydney Water and Essential Energy in New South Wales Government.
In the final weeks of the campaign, Labor ramped up its messaging about the Coalition’s history of and plans for privatisation of state assets.
Minns also thanks various Labor party figures and advisers, as well as the union movement – which drew a noticeable round of applause from the crowd of supporters.
Minns ends by thanking his family.
After 12 years in opposition, I want to say to the people who voted for Labor or voted for the Liberals and Nationals or voted for independents or minor party candidates today. We’ve been elected by the people of this state but we will govern for everyone in NSW.
We know that the challenges are huge. We know the responsibilities are awesome, but NSW Labor is back and ready to govern in this great state. Thank you.
Updated
Chris Minns is making his victory speech
“Friends after 12 years in opposition the people of New South Wales have voted for a fresh start,” he says, thanking the Labor party faithful in the crowd.
Minns thanks volunteers who helped his campaign to retain his own seat of Kogarah, which was a concern going into the election.
I thought it was going to be close but in the end we got there.
Minns then thanks outgoing premier, Dominic Perrottet, for his service to NSW.
I would like to say thank you to the premier for his service on behalf of the people of NSW.
He echoes Perrottet’s reflection of the NSW campaign.
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. 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.
Updated
Minns walks to stage amid cheers of ‘Labor! Labor!’
Premier-elect Chris Minns, walking with his wife and three sons, is making his way through a crowd of elated supporters at Labor’s election night function, as he takes to the stage to claim victory in the New South Wales election.
Those in the crowd are chanting “Labor, Labor”.
As he walks onto the stage, Anthony Albanese takes Minns’ hand and lifts it in the air.
Updated
PM warms up the Labor crowd for premier-elect
Anthony Albanese has taken the stage at Labor’s election night function to welcome on Chris Minns.
The crowd applauded the prime minister as he walked onto the stage, but he said “tonight is someone else’s night”.
“Friends tonight the people of New South Wales have come together to choose a better future.”
“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.”
Updated
Just unpacking a bit more of Dominic Perrottet’s speech:
He said Liberal MP Stuart Ayres “can hold his head very high”, as the Penrith MP stares down a loss to Labor. The ABC is projecting he will lose the seat, but when speaking to Sky News earlier, Ayres was yet to concede.
During Perrottet’s concession speech a few minutes ago, the outgoing premier said:
It doesn’t appear that Stuart (Ayres) will have the result that he wanted, or that I wanted this evening in Penrith. But Stuart can hold his head very high. He’s served his community of Penrith incredibly well and he served our state with distinction.
Updated
Immediately after Dominic Perrottet finishes speaking, the ABC panel asks Matt Kean if he will run for Liberal leadership. Kean again says it is too early to say.
Dominic Perrottet to stand down as Liberal leader
Dominic Perrottet has announced he will step down as Liberal leader, claiming the party needs a “fresh start”.
As Perrottet announced this during his concession speech, the crowd at Liberal gathering jeered.
“To everyone in the Liberal party, I’d say this next period of time will not be easy, but it will be necessary.
It is a time to reflect. It is a time to rethink and ultimately to renew. To renew as leader of the parliamentary Liberal party, I take full responsibility for the loss this evening. And as a result, I will be standing down as the parliamentary leader (jeers) of the Liberal party. It’s very clear we need a fresh start for the Liberal party.”
Updated
Dominic Perrottet feels a “profound sense of gratitude” to have led New South Wales
Now friends, it goes without saying. I think we all wanted to have a different result this evening.
But we as a party, we as a government should be very proud of what we have achieved together.
I feel a profound sense of gratitude to have been able to serve the people of New South Wales.
Make no mistake, we’ve made history of being in government for the longest time since our party was formed. And our government has achieved so much in so many ways. We’ve kept NSW strong, free and fair.
Perrottet said NSW is a “much better place today than it was 12 years ago” and that the Coalition’s legacy will be one “of infrastructure, of investment and of imagination”.
He names the metro projects in Sydney, as well as more controversial motorways, museums and stadiums, as important elements of the Coalition’s legacy in government.
Updated
Outgoing premier asks for support for incoming opponent
Outgoing premier Dominic Perrottet has asked New South Wales residents, regardless of political leaning, to “get behind” Chris Minns as premier.
I truly believe and have no doubt that he will make a fine 47th premier of New South Wales because I believe that he will lead with the same decency and the same integrity that he has led with so far.
Ultimately I ask everybody across NSW, whatever your political persuasion, to get behind him, to get behind him, because where NSW goes well, our country goes well, and that is something that is something tonight, I believe, we can all unite behind.
Updated
Dominic Perrottet begins concession speech
The Liberal leader has arrived at the Liberal’s election night function and is delivering his concession piece.
“A short while ago, I called Chris Minns to congratulate him and the Labor party on their election victory,” he said to a mixed reception form the Liberal faithful.
“The great people of New South Wales tonight have decided to elect a Labor government in the state. And that is a decision that we respect. I particularly tonight want to acknowledge the leader of the opposition. Elections can get ugly, but I believe this election truly was a race to the top.
“A genuine battle of ideas. And that’s when politics is at its best.”
Updated
John Howard arrives at Liberal function
The former PM is now at the Liberal’s election night party in Sydney’s CBD – where the mood is grim.
Howard arrived at the Liberal event at 9.40pm and walked into the ballroom with his wife Janette and Liberal minister Alister Henskens as Thunderstruck by AC/DC was played.
Howard praised Dominic Perrottet’s policies and campaign.
“He put forward ideas. He was bold. I particularly admired his stance on poker machines. They are a social evil in this country and I think his stance on that was admirable.”
Asked if Perrottet stayed true to conservative values, Howard said:
“I think Dom, he got the balance right.”
Howard got a rockstar welcome as he arrived. Someone actually screamed with joy. pic.twitter.com/8PIT5qtxkX
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) March 25, 2023
Howard also had some pleasant words for both Perrottet and Labor leader Chris Minns:
“The other thing I want to say is I pay tribute to the civil the campaign was conducted by both leaders.”
Updated
Ayres not conceding
Penrith Liberal MP Stuart Ayres is on Sky News now and is not conceding his seat just yet, despite projections Labor has won the seat.
Updated
Labor MPs dividing up ministries
At least one Labor MP is already talking about her colleagues’ portfolios with the party set to form government in NSW.
As cheers erupted at ALP headquarters in Sydney on Saturday night, Penny Sharpe confirmed she would be environment minister, Daniel Mookhey would be treasurer and transport would go to Jo Haylen, reports AAP’s Luke Costin.
No surprises here – these are the shadow portfolios each of them has held in opposition so they’ll be well versed on their new ministries.
Updated
Outgoing premier on his way to Liberal party event
Dominic Perrottet has just left his home in Sydney’s Hills district and is headed toward the Liberal party’s election night function in the CBD.
TV cameras captured Perrottet being driven out of his home a few moments ago. It is a 25 minute drive to the Liberal party function.
Updated
Terrigal is going down as a Labor gain
The Central Coast seat was held by the Liberals’s Adam Crouch on a margin of 12.3%. Crouch has held the seat for three terms. It was considered a Liberal stronghold.
Tonight, Labor’s Sam Boughton is projected to win the seat with a 1.5% margin, according to the ABC.
Updated
No MPs at Liberal function
There were still no Liberal MPs present at the party’s major function at the Sydney Hilton at 9PM.
The TVs were cut and music turned on shortly after the election was called for a Labor majority.
About 100 people were at the event at 9PM after the Liberals had planned to host about 300 of the party faithful.
And with that the TVs have been cut again. Fewer than 100 people here. pic.twitter.com/fMjCWxzdz9
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) March 25, 2023
Have to assume they aren’t coming back because we now have music.
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) March 25, 2023
Updated
Perrottet calls Minns to concede election
My colleague Michael McGowan, who is at Labor HQ tonight, tells me Dominic Perrottet has called Labor leader Chris Minns to concede.
Updated
Willoughby appears to be inching towards independent Larissa Penn
The ABC is projecting Penn to be ahead of Liberal member Tim James by 1.1%, with about 50% of the vote counted.
The ABC is projecting that Penn is “likely” to win the seat, but it’s still one of the seats it considers in doubt.
Willoughby had been a safe Liberal seat, held by former premier Gladys Berejiklian. The seat became marginal at the 2022 byelection after her resignation, with James scraping through with a margin of 3.3% over Penn.
Updated
Prue Car says Labor ‘executed a really good campaign’
Labor’s deputy leader, Prue Car, and now also the incoming New South Wales deputy premier, has told media at the party’s increasingly raucous event in Brighton-Le-Sand that the result tonight proves the party “executed a really good campaign about the issues people are concerned about”.
Labor has faced some criticism for running a small-target campaign based on key issues such as privatisation and cost-of-living, but Car said the result “shows that we were listening to people and campaigning on the issues concerning them”.
She said:
There is a reason that at the Sky News people’s forum [in Penrith] most of the questions to both the premier and Chris Minns were about issues we were talking about.”
It feels like it’s a really hopeful night for us and that we’re seeing some really great results. A lot of seats that we needed to win. But we don’t take anything for granted and we still have a lot of seats that are close where there is a lot more to count. It’s clear that the people of NSW have voted for change.”
Car, the MP in Londonderry in Sydney’s outer west, said that she was particularly interested in the result in Penrith, where Labor is ahead of Liberal MP Stuart Ayres.
I cannot overstate how many resources we’ve thrown at the Liberal Party and Stuart Ayres in Penrith.
Updated
Wollondilly independent ‘pretty sure’ of victory
Independent candidate Judy Hannan is confident she will win Wollondilly and has begun celebrating at the Picton Bowling Club with supporters.
She told Guardian Australia there were 40 volunteers already there and more would join soon.
She said:
We’ve had a look at all the numbers and it’s looking pretty sure.
This is huge. It’s a huge swing [and] it’s because nothing got done and it was taken for granted as a safe seat.”
The seat was won by Liberal Nathaniel Smith in 2019 with a 5.5% margin after Hannan cut it from 17.3%.
Updated
Premier-elect Chris Minns on way to ALP function
Labor leader Chris Minns has just left his house in southern Sydney and is on his way to Labor’s election night function.
Minns didn’t answer questions from journalists as he walked with advisers from his house into a waiting car.
Channel Seven is pursuing Minns’ car and broadcasting live vision.
Channel Seven's live coverage of Minns' car. Stuck at a traffic light right now pic.twitter.com/ZgUOFZhWWl
— Elias Visontay (@EliasVisontay) March 25, 2023
Updated
Antony Green predicts Labor majority
The ABC election analyst says he is now “confident” the ALP will be able to form government in their own right.
Updated
Outgoing minister laments loss of ‘broad church’ Liberal party
Over on channel Seven retiring Liberal MP David Elliott is still reminiscing about the John Howard era of his party.
Elliott is saying the Liberal party will now need to work out if it wants to be “a western Sydney party” or a “north shore party”, lamenting it had strayed from being the “broad church” it had been in the Howard era.
Updated
Liberal heavyweight Stuart Ayres is on track to lose his seat of Penrith. Labor’s Karen McKeown is projected to win that.
Ayres has held the seat since 2010.
Updated
Willoughby on knife-edge
The seat of Willoughby on Sydney’s lower north shore too close to call.
Willoughby had been a safe Liberal party seat, held by former premier Gladys Berejiklian. The seat became marginal at the byelection after her resignation, with Liberal Tim James scraping through with a margin of 3.3% over independent Larissa Penn.
Tonight, James and Penn are neck and neck.
The ABC has Penn ahead by 0.8%, with about 30% of the vote counted.
Postal votes will be significant this election (about 30% of people voted early this election), and postal votes tend to skew conservative.
Updated
What we know so far
Here’s what we know so far from counting to 8:30PM, with more than 27% of the vote counted:
Labor will form government but it’s not yet clear if that will be a majority or a minority government, according to the ABC’s Antony Green. As of 8:30PM, he said it’s looking more like it will be a Labor majority government.
Independents have likely gained some seats off the Coalition. In Wakehurst, independent Michael Regan looks to have won the seat from the Liberals, which was held by retiring health minister Brad Hazzard. Wollondilly looks set to be taken by independent Judy Hannan.
Labor appears to have gained Monaro from the Nationals and Penrith from the Liberals. Labor will also gain Holsworthy, East Hills, Ryde and South Coast.
Updated
Update from Tamsin Rose at the Liberal party function:
The sound was cut on the large TV screens shortly after the election was called for Labor.
Updated
The Liberal party is claiming to have retained the teal targets of Vaucluse and North Shore.
They have conceded South Coast and Parramatta.
Updated
Wollondilly will be won by independent Judy Hannan, the ABC are projecting. The seat was held by the Liberals.
‘People picked out of nowhere’: David Elliott savages Liberals’ candidates
Retiring Liberal frontbencher David Elliott, on channel Seven’s coverage, was asked what he thought about the prospect of Matt Kean taking over the Liberal leadership from Dominic Perrottet.
Elliott said:
“It’s no secret that I’ve got a different flavour of liberalism than Matt Kean.”
Elliott said the party needed to understand if it had lost key seats by pursuing policies to appeal to potential teal voters.
Instead, Elliott said the Liberal party should pursue “positions on issues on what the centre-right, conservative battlers” want.
Elliott was also scathing of the quality of candidates preselected this election.
“We have people picked out of nowhere for these election campaigns.”
“The probity checks just aren’t there.”
“That stuff wouldn’t have happened under John Howard.”
Updated
Antony Green has now called Wakehurst for Michael Regan
However, retiring Liberal MP Brad Hazzard all but conceded at 7.45pm saying he would have liked to hand over the seat (past tense).
The mood at the Cromer Sports club is jubilant. Regan’s people wear Maroon, not teal, but many of the same environmental and development issues have played out.
They are also sick of having road projects postponed, while the bus services seem to have gone downhill, in a region that has no other public transport options.
Updated
Slew of seats fall to ALP from Coalition: Antony Green
ABC election analyst Antony Green says Labor has won the seats of East Hills, Monaro, Penrith, Ryde and South Coast off the Coalition.
Updated
Update from Tamsin Rose at the Liberal function
Not an MP in sight.
Update from the Liberal event. It’s near empty and there’s not an MP in sight. pic.twitter.com/TbiMlS9ARM
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) March 25, 2023
Updated
As at 8PM, with about 17% of the vote counted, the ABC has called:
Labor: 39
Coalition: 27
Greens: 2
Others: 6
Labor needs 47 seats to form a majority government.
ABC election analyst Antony Green has already said Labor will form government, but is not yet sure if that will be a majority or minority government.
Updated
Huge swings point to a likely majority government for Labor
While Antony Green isn’t ready to call a majority Labor government, we’re seeing the kind of swings that will lead there.
The ABC calling the electorate of South Coast - which the Coalition held on a 10.6% margin - with a swing of 16.% so far, suggests as much. As does Parramatta (held on a 6.5% margin) and Monaro (11.6%).
Those regional seats are particularly significant because they were held on margins well above the uniform swing Labor needs to govern in its own right.
Meanwhile treasurer Matt Kean says on ABC that he would “be happy” for Dominic Perrottet to stay on as leader in opposition “if he wanted to”.
Updated
Treasurer Matt Kean begins Coalition post mortem
On the ABC’s election panel, having heard Antony Green’s prediction, Kean said:
“It’s very hard to see a pathway to government for the Coalition.”
“It looks headed towards a Labor majority based on those numbers that we’ve just seen. But let’s see what happens.”
“There are a number of challenges that we needed to work through.
“We really needed everything to go our way… it’s just not.”
“We were defending ourselves rather than being on the attack.”
Kean played down the impact of internal party dysfunction and Coalition scandals. He said the retirement of popular incumbent MPs such as Brad Hazzard and Victor Dominello were part of the problem.
Kean also refused to buy into future Liberal leadership speculation, and whether he would challenge for it.
“It’s too early for that.”
Updated
Liberal party reception cools as seats fall
The Liberal camp is feeling increasingly nervous about key seats in western Sydney and the south coast.
They remain hopeful about the seats being challenged by teal independents.
The vibe in the room has taken a significant dip as seats begin to fall to Labor.
Updated
ABC’s Antony Green confident Labor will form government
The national broadcaster’s election analyst, Antony Green, has said he can “confidently say Labor will form government”, but is not yet sure if it will be a majority or minority government.
Channel Seven is projecting a Coalition loss this election.
Sky News is saying no Coalition majority is possible.
Updated
Wakehurst probably changing hands
Northern Beaches mayor Michael Regan has likely snatched the once safe Liberal seat of Wakehurst, after the retirement of the health minister, Brad Hazzard.
The seat, held by the Liberals with a 21.9% margin, was the first of eight seats being contested by so-called teal independents, to be called.
Early country has a 25% swing against the Liberals’ Toby Williams.
Scrutineers were reporting the very popular mayor won some of the booths on the coast outright, gaining more than 50% of the vote.
The seat overlaps with Warringah, the federal seat that is held by Zali Steggall.
Other so-called teal seats are still being counted with Willoughby a possibility to fall to the independent, Larissa Penn.
Updated
Labor are on track to take Monaro off the Nationals.
Labor candidate Steven Whan is set to win that seat from the Nationals Nichole Overall, according to the ABC.
This is John Barilaro’s former seat, near the ACT border.
Reports Gareth Ward will retain seat
Sky News are projecting that Gareth Ward will retain his seat of Kiama.
Ward was ousted from the Liberal party and is running as an independent.
Updated
Federal frontbencher says voters angry at cost of living
Federal Liberal MP Angus Taylor is talking to the ABC about his state counterparts’ performance in this election.
Taylor said he believed the NSW Coalition were being blamed by voters for cost of living pressures.
“People are looking for who to blame”
Taylor said it was “tough for incumbent governments”.
Updated
More on the contest in Wakehurst
The health minister, Brad Hazzard, is retiring and so far independent candidate Michael Regan is “looking very strong” (according to Antony Green) to win the seat ahead of the Liberal candidate Toby Williams.
That would be the first seat to change hands so far.
Anne Davies filed this from Regan’s event earlier.
Updated
Lake Macquarie independent MP has ‘lines of communication’ with major parties
The ABC has spoken to independent MP Greg Piper, who has retained his seat of Lake Macquarie.
Asked if he’s had any discussions with either of the major parties heading into tonight, Piper says:
We have identified the lines of communication, let’s put it that way. So no discussions, no negotiations, no deals. But we do know, if it comes down to a minority government situation, who it is who’s been delegated from those parties to have those discussions with.
Updated
Labor believes Minns will retain his seat
Based on the early count, Labor is calling Chris Minns’ seat of Kogarah as a retain.
The leader holds one of the most marginal seats in the state on 0.1% after a redistribution, but early counts suggest a strong swing back to Labor in the seat.
Labor is also predicting it will retain the seats of Lismore, Coogee, Bega and Strathfield.
Updated
As of 7:30PM, just over 5% of the vote has been counted
It’s still early in the night but some networks have already called a handful of seats and likely results based on these early results.
The ABC’s election analyst Antony Green says there is a 6.7% swing towards Labor as it currently stands. He has called the following number of seats for each party, and some of those seats are named below:
Coalition: 11
-Cronulla
-Davidson
-Upper Hunter
Labor: 8
-Lismore
-Maitland
-Charlestown
-Bega (likely)
-Goulburn (Labor ahead)
-Heathcote (Labor ahead)
-Ryde (Labor ahead)
Independents: 2
-Lake Macquarie (Greg Piper to retain his seat)
-Orange (Philip Donato to retain his seat)
Updated
Wakehurst independent candidate begins afterparty
Lots of excitement at the Cromer sports ground’s Far Post.
The campaign team seem pretty confident and candidate Michael Regan, the Northern Beaches mayor, has just arrived.
Regan is probably the best chance out of the independents who are challenging in safe Liberal seats.
Updated
Early counting shows huge swing to Labor incumbent in Lismore
Labor’s Janelle Saffin appears to have turned her seat of Lismore into a safe seat for the party.
Early counting suggests a swing of about 16% towards Saffin in the seat.
Saffin has been vocal for her community in the aftermath of repeated flood disasters in recent years.
Updated
‘A genuine contest’ is a win, says Simon Holmes à Court
Simon Holmes à Court is playing down the chances of teal candidates as counting ramps up.
Holmes à Court, whose fundraising group Climate 200 is supporting a number of candidates particularly in seats on Sydney’s north shore and northern beaches, told channel Seven he’ll be happy even if the efforts of some teal candidates only turns some safe Coalition seats marginal.
“Bringing a genuine contest in these seats…that’s a win before we start,” he said.
Updated
A few seats already called by broadcasters
As of 7:15PM, just over 2.1% of votes have been counted.
It’s still early days but some networks have already called a handful of seats based on these early results.
These are fairly safe seats and don’t say much about the overall direction of the election tonight, but so far the ABC have called four seats for the Coalition and two for Labor.
Updated
First guests arrive at the near-empty Liberal event
The couple walked in holding glasses of champagne and were overheard asking “are we in the wrong place?”.
A Liberal staffer reassured them that they were in the right spot.
Updated
Matt Kean says a Coalition reelection would be ‘an historic victory’
The treasurer, Matt Kean, is on ABC’s election coverage tonight, and has said earlier said “the deck is stacked against” the Coalition tonight.
“It would be an historic victory because it hasn’t been done before, four terms, so fighting the tide of history is like fighting gravity. The deck is stacked against us here. It is going to be Mount Everest to climb,” he said.
“The challenge for us was to present ourselves as a new government, not the reiteration of a 12-year-old government,” Kean said.
Kean also said that in the face of a wave of a “teal onslaught” of challengers in seats on Sydney’s north shore, the Liberal’s “strategy was to take a lot of those issues off the table before the election whether it was climate (or) energy”.
“We were focusing on the core equity of the Liberal National brand which is the economy, so from January up to election day it was all about the economy.”
Updated
David Elliott says ‘not good news’ for Liberal party so far
Outgoing Liberal minister David Elliott says early results trickling through suggest poor performances for his party in key western Sydney seats.
“Not good news for the Liberal party unfortunately,” he said on channel Seven’s coverage.
Elliott said he was hearing of “significant swings in western and northwestern Sydney” and even in Castle Hill “that would suggest to me it could be an early night for a few people in western Sydney”.
However Elliott said it was still early in the evening.
Updated
Important to note that a large number of people have voted early this election. Results for some seats could take a while to become clear.
So one third, or 31 per cent, of enrolled voters have voted early #NSWpol #NSWvotes https://t.co/B8wbuRuVEa
— Phoebe Loomes (@dollyybird) March 25, 2023
Liberal team will be gathering at the Hilton
Party organisers are expecting a few hundred guests including the premier, Dominic Perrottet, later in the evening and hoping other high-profile Liberals including former prime minister, John Howard, pop in.
Party faithful are expected to arrive from 7.30.
This is the scene at the Hilton. We’re expecting “a few hundred” here and they’ll start rolling in about 7.30. pic.twitter.com/CbObYHd5Vn
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) March 25, 2023
Updated
Train service outages hit Sydney
In a very Sydney thing to happen on election day – there’s another train outage.
Trains are not running on the T1 (western line), T2 (inner west and Leppington line) and T9 (northern line) due to urgent signal repairs at Homebush. There are flow-on effects throughout the network – screens have gone blank at Milsons Point station, for example.
In a statement, Transport for NSW has said services on the North Shore, Bankstown, Cumberland, Airport & South, and Central Coast and Newcastle lines are also affected.
It has prompted Transport for NSW to issue a warning that anyone travelling to an NRL game at Olympic Park tonight should avoid taking the train.
Train outages across the Sydney network have plagued the Coalition in recent weeks. It remains to be seen if they will be punished for the outages at the ballot box.
Updated
This is the scene at the Hilton. We’re expecting “a few hundred” here and they’ll start rolling in about 7.30. pic.twitter.com/CbObYHd5Vn
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) March 25, 2023
‘Gina’s an old family friend’
Liberal MP Anthony Roberts has confirmed that Gina Rinehart visited a polling booth in his electorate of Lane Cove today and handed out food.
A volunteer who was handing out at Putney Primary told Guardian Australia a white SUV pulled up around 4pm and Rinehart got out to hand Liberal volunteers meat pies.
Crossing live to Sky News just now from an election night function in his seat – where he is facing down a tough test from Climate 200-backed independent Victoria Davidson – Roberts confirmed Rinehart’s visit.
“Well Gina’s an old family friend,” he said.
Roberts said she handed out sandwiches and pies to volunteers of all candidates, not just Liberal volunteers.
“In the rain she was out there delivering to all booth workers,” Roberts said.
Updated
Key seats to watch tonight
Here are some of the key seats to keep an eye on as results start coming in:
Penrith - held by former deputy Liberal leader Stuart Ayres on a wafer-thin 0.6% margin. Is seen as key for Labor’s chances to win government
East Hills - held by Labor on a 0.1% margin.
Murray - held by former former Shooters party MP turned independent Helen Dalton on a 2.8% margin. Dalton, her former party and Nationals make this a potential three-cornered contest.
Balmain - Held by retiring Greens MP Jamie Parker on a 10% margin.
Lane Cove - Held by Liberal frontbencher Anthony Roberts on a 14.7% margin. Being targeted by Climate 200-backed independent Victoria Davidson.
Wollondilly - Held by the Liberals on a 6% margin. Also being targeted by a Climate 200-backed independent.
Kogarah - Held by Labor leader Chris Minns on a 0.1% margin.
Heathcote - Held by the Liberals. But notionally Labor has a 1.7% margin.
Leppington - New seat. Notionally a Labor seat with a 1.5% margin.
Parramatta - Held by the Liberals on a 6.5% margin.
Goulburn - Held by the Liberals on a 3.1% margin.
Read more about the key seats to watch
Updated
TV networks’ live coverage
We’ll keep you updated on the results as they come in, but here’s a quick guide for those of you wishing to tune in to the televised coverage at the same time!
The ABC’s coverage is being helmed by Sarah Ferguson, with David Speers and - of course - Antony Green leading the panel. Treasurer Matt Kean and senior Labor MP Penny Shape will join the panel.
Nine’s coverage is being led by Peter Overton and will feature two former premiers - Labor’s Morris Iemma and Liberal Mike Baird - as well as NSW education minister Sarah Mitchell.
Seven will have outgoing Liberal minister David Elliott, Labor frontbencher Jo Haylen and One Nation’s Mark Latham featuring in its coverage, which is being hosted by Amelia Brace and Michael Usher.
Kieran Gilbert is helming Sky News’ coverage, which will feature Peta Credlin, Graham Richardson, Joel Fitzgibbon, Barnaby Joyce and NSW metropolitan roads minister Natalie Ward.
Updated
Latest from Labor HQ
Polls have closed across New South Wales and a few staffers are starting to file into the Labor party function at Brighton-Le-Sands in Chris Minns’ seat of Kogarah.
The party is favourite to form government - either in minority of majority - ending 12 years in opposition. The final Newspoll of the election has raised hopes within Labor that majority government could be in reach.
The stage is set for Labor’s election-night function at Brighton-Le-Sands in Chris Minns seat of Kogarah. pic.twitter.com/oDPfquAxVC
— Michael McGowan (@mmcgowan) March 25, 2023
But the expectation management game is already underway with party figures stressing that with a minimum nine seats required to form majority government and only four Coalition seats with a margin under 5%, it remains a narrow path to victory.
One of those seats, Goulburn in the state’s south, has not been held by Labor since 1965.
NSW Labor has only formed government twice from opposition, in 1976 and in 1995.
On the ABC, Coalition treasurer, Matt Kean, is also talking down the government’s chances of hanging on, saying the “deck is stacked against us” and that the party has “Mount Everest to climb”.
Updated
Want to know a bit more about who could be the premier after the votes are counted?
My colleague Michael McGowan has sat down with both leaders ahead of today’s poll.
Read about why Dominic Perrottet has put his career on the line by poking the ClubsNSW beast and how Chris Minns has traded his charming firebrand persona for pragmatic centrism while we wait for the first results from today’s election.
Updated
Gina Rinehart reportedly spotted at Sydney voting booth
Volunteers for Lane Cove ‘teal’ candidate, Victoria Davidson, have told Guardian Australia that booths in Liberal Anthony Roberts‘s leafy north shore seat were visited by mining magnate Gina Rinehart this afternoon.
A volunteer called David who was handing out at Putney Primary told Guardian Australia a white SUV pulled up around 4pm and Rinehart got out to hand Liberal volunteers meat pies.
David said:
She was handing pies to the Liberal volunteers and she was saying what a great job they were doing. She was probably there for 10 minutes or so.
Apparently, they were warm, delicious pies.
A photo from another booth in the electorate appeared to show Rinehart beside a large white car with Australian flags attached to the top.
Mining magnate Gina Rinehart has been handing out pies in the the Liberal-held seat of Lane Cove this afternoon. A volunteer told me the recipients reported the pies were “warm and delicious”. pic.twitter.com/6to0kkLzVw
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) March 25, 2023
Guardian Australia has not confirmed with Rinehart herself.
The Daily Telegraph reported Rinehart sent Roberts meat pies while he was in Covid isolation in 2021.
Will we see a hung parliament?
It’ll be about half an hour before we start to see the first results.
Labor have been considered favourites heading into today, but polling has been tight.
There’s a chance that a winner won’t be clear tonight.
A hung parliament is also a strong possibility.
The magic number of seats needed to form government is 47.
Updated
Polls have closed! (for most of the state)
Polls to close, first results expected soon
Polling stations are about to close for most of the state as we approach 6PM (those in the far west of the state still have an extra half hour before the clock hits six in their time zone).
We should see early results start to trickle in from 6:30PM, and we’ll of course bring you that news as it happens.
Updated
Good evening, it’s Elias Visontay here from the Guardian’s election HQ in Sydney
We’ll be bringing you live updates throughout the night as polls close and the counting begins.
Our reporters will be at the various parties’ election functions throughout the night and you can read everything they have to say here.
If you spot anything – whether at a voting centre or at an election night function – blogworthy, get in touch! You can send through tidbits to me at: elias.visontay@theguardian.com.
Brace yourselves for a long night. Giddy up!
Updated
And with that, I will leave the blog in the hands of Elias Visontay, thanks for reading.
Teals in city’s north eyeing a long-game strategy
A little way up the north shore, in the seat of Lane Cove there’s also plenty of teal T shirts around, with a little over 200 volunteers across 28 polling places.
Lane Cove will be a harder seat for the teals to win, because it stretches west to Gladesville and North Ryde, where the issues of cost of living might overshadow issues of climate change, integrity and the environment.
Independent candidate Victoria Davidson said:
We are giving it our best shot. Everyone stands on the shoulders of the person before. If we don’t do it this time, we will do it next time.
Updated
Teals a strong presence at polling booths
The teal independents face an uphill battle to win the seats they are contesting thanks to optional preferential voting but they have put on a very strong ground game.
Teal T-shirts are in big numbers in the seat of North Shore and at some booths seem to outnumber the Liberal royal blue T-shirts.
Independent, Helen Conway, said she has 180 volunteers out staffing 27 booths in the seat of North Shore and had crowdsourced close to the fundraising cap of $193,000
As well as the mainstay teal issues of integrity and action on climate change, Conway says development pressures facing the North Shore have helped her campaign as well. In particular, the Warringah Freeway expansion, which has been causing havoc for commuters over the last couple of months, is a daily reminder.
Conway says that for residents in the seat of North Shore – which is at the start of the new expanded freeway- the result could be more traffic not less. Then there is the ongoing unhappiness about the Northern Beaches link, which has resulted in clearing of trees in Cammeray.
“The message to the Liberal party is people don’t want to be taken for granted. The problem with Felicity Wilson is she is a post-box not an advocate. She’s missing in action, she’s passive,” Conway said.
“This is an aspirational community. They want someone to advocate for them.” she said.
The Liberals have had NSW treasurer, Matt Kean co-ordinating, their fightback against the teals. It gives Kean a chance to gather intel on the teal movement, if he chooses to make the move to federal politics, most likely with a run in the overlapping federal seat of North Sydney, currently held by Kylea Tink.
Updated
Parties still vying for last-minute voters
Good afternoon.
Polls are still open across New South Wales, and as rain begins to fall across Sydney both parties are doing whatever they can to hoover up the remaining undecided voters.
Former prime minister Scott Morrison has been handing out on polling booths in the Sutherland Shire with Cronulla MP Mark Speakman and Miranda MP Eleni Petinos, both safe Liberal seats.
Earlier the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, was on the hustings in the seat of Balmain, which Labor is hopeful of winning back from the Greens.
But election day has not been without incident.
In the seat of Port Stephens in the Hunter the local MP, Kate Washington, was filmed in a heated exchange with the One Nation candidate Mark Watson.
Footage of the incident taken at a polling booth at Wirreanda Public school, shows the Labor MP exchanging angry words with Watson, accusing him of “calling me a liar”.
“What a load of garbage,” she can be heard saying to Watson.
Washington declined to comment, but while the full context of the exchange is unclear the Guardian understands the Labor MP has been furious about some of the campaigning tactics used by some of the minor right-wing parties in her seat during the election.
Port Stephens is held by Labor on a 5.8% margin.
Elsewhere, in the must-win marginal seat of Heathcote covering Sydney’s southern suburbs to the north of the Illawarra, a Labor volunteer appeared to say he would “wait for you” after being told to “fuck off” by a voter.
Heathcote is held by Liberal Lee Evans but became notionally Labor’s on a 1.7% margin after a redistribution. It’s a must-win for both parties.
Updated
The Guardian’s Abhranil Hazra and Jessica Hromas are in the NSW electorate of Epping, currently held by Dominic Perrottet, and they spoke to voters who said they would mostly be sticking with the Liberals.
Michaela said she would be sticking with the Liberals, saying she liked their consistency:
I don’t think I’ll change my opinion once I get in the booth, I’ll go with the Liberals.
This the second time after we got our citizenships we’ll be voting but I think they were fairly consistent with their plans for what I’ve been watching and that’s an aspect that I like, their consistency.
Rares told our reporters the work the Coalition did through the pandemic earned them another term:
The same, yes, they took the country through covid so its enough.
Carla Mascarenhas, sister of Alan Mascarenhas, who is the Labor candidate running for Epping, said they were hoping to make a dent in the seat:
We believe he’s got a chance he ran last time it was a 16% percent margin he got it down to 8% and we believe it’s doable, Epping has a growing population, the electorate had an explosion,
All the marginal electorate are getting money from the Liberals, Parramatta, Riverstone, Winston Hills with Epping missing out, they’re the forgotten suburb.
Updated
Talking to the voters themselves …
At an Epping polling booth, The Guardian’s Abhranil Hazra and Jessica Hromas spoke to voters who said local issues were their main concerns, with many seemingly leaning to voting Liberal.
The seat is held by the Liberal premier, Dominic Perrottet, and has never been lost by the Liberal party.
Heather O’Sullivan told Guardian Australia that she voted for the Labor candidate, Alan Mascarenhas, as she was opposed to privatisation and felt it was time for “a change”.
Hassan, Mona and Muhammad told us they liked Perrottet’s economic policies.
Dominic and his policy, from what I’ve seen, I don’t know if I’ll vote for him or not, but at least they’re bringing money into the big projects. The majority of people in the area work 9-5 jobs so, of course, it brings jobs, so he’s supporting big projects whereas Labor is cutting all of those projects, this is difference I can see.
Because this Epping area is financially strong, people have more money in their pockets in comparison to other areas in Sydney, they’re educated people, they can find jobs, they can do businesses, and I’m not sure if Alan is the person for us.
Updated
Angus Taylor defends Peter Dutton’s level of involvement in NSW election
The opposition Treasury spokesman says the Coalition leader has been “doing what we’ve got to do at a federal level”.
Speaking from the regional seat of Goulburn, Taylor told Sky News that there had been plenty of support for premier Dominic Perrottet from his federal counterparts:
Peter is out and about, he is doing what we’ve got to do at the federal level, but there has been no shortage of federal representatives out there over the last couple of weeks and today out on the booths.
There’s no doubt it’s going to be tough, an incumbent government with cost of living pressures like we’re seeing at the moment.
The Liberal party has a broad church and we have a range of members representing their areas.
Updated
Scott Morrison on NSW campaign trail
Former prime minister Scott Morrison has made a rare appearance today, supporting NSW attorney general Mark Speakman and Liberal MP Eleni Petinos on the campaign trail.
Morrison posted a selfie on Instagram with both MPs, cheering his Shire colleagues on:
Pleased to be out supporting our local Liberal Shire team today with Mark Speakman and Eleni Petinos MP #keepnswmovingforward.
Updated
Labor’s Penny Sharpe: ‘a lot of seats that we need to win’ in NSW election
Leader of the opposition in the upper house, Penny Sharpe was at Stanmore public school earlier today, where she told reporters she was cautious about the vote, even though polls showed Labor slightly ahead of the Coalition.
She also said that key seats Labor needs to win – including Holsworthy, Leppington and East Hills – all featured candidates that were “strong local people”.
There are a lot of seats that we need to win or that are on very big margins. So a lot of different contests, which has always been the issue with this campaign.
So many different contests, how are they going to fall?
Updated
Good afternoon, Mostafa Rachwani with you this afternoon, bringing you all the latest as polls begin winding down in NSW.
That’s it for me today. Mostafa Rachwani will be bringing you the afternoon’s news and the latest from the NSW election, with a few hours left of voting.
Sydney to install more statues of women after its public art labelled a ‘sausage party’
A councillor has described Sydney’s public art as “sausage party” amid a campaign to balance gender representation among the city’s public statues.
There are just six public statues of women in the city of Sydney, including two of Queen Victoria and one of saint Mary MacKillop.
The trend extends across all Australian states. Six out of 33 statues in the city of Adelaide are of women – making it the state with the highest proportion of statues of women. In Melbourne and Brisbane, women make up only 15% of statues.
Labor councillor Linda Scott moved a motion for the city of Sydney to set up a public art advisory panel to guide the process of delivering at least three new artworks “celebrating, commemorating or depicting women”. The motion was passed by majority of councillors on 13 March, but there is not yet a timeline of when the artworks will be commissioned.
Here’s Scott:
When it comes to Sydney statues, it’s unfortunately a bit of a sausage party. There are about five times as many statues of birds in the city of Sydney than there are of women.
Analysis – Judgment day arrives for NSW Labor after 12 years in the political wilderness
On Friday, as Labor’s election bus took a final, weary lap through a clutch of key seats in Sydney’s west, the upper house MP and unofficial campaign DJ Rose Jackson began blasting One Day More, from the musical Les Misérables.
“Tomorrow is the judgment day.”
Heavy-handed? Possibly. But after three months of campaigning you can forgive them the obvious metaphor. After 12 long years, Saturday can’t come quick enough for New South Wales Labor.
Though polls have tightened in recent weeks, this is an election Labor expects to win. Facing a 12-year-old government beset by scandals, high-profile retirements and on to its fourth premier, anything less would be a disaster.
The path to victory is not easy, however. Read the full analysis here:
More than 1.5m early votes registered
Early voting is becoming increasingly common, as we’ve seen in recent federal and state elections. This has changed the way leaders campaign as they need to convince voters well before polling day.
According to the New South Wales Electoral Commission, more than 1.5 million people had already voted in the state election before today.
It's been 1 week since early voting opened. Here are the updated early voting numbers.
— NSW Electoral Commission (@NSWElectoralCom) March 24, 2023
Postal packs returned : 127,653 Early voting daily figure: 1,566,493.
For more information visit our website: https://t.co/FcACMQSZ0L pic.twitter.com/zRL9beJPcp
Updated
Perrottet sells Coalition’s economic credentials
Pink cupcakes, blue shirts and plenty of sausages greeted Premier Dominic Perrottet as he cast his vote in his bid to lead the Coalition to a historic fourth term in power in NSW.
Accompanied by his wife Helen and the couple’s youngest daughter, Celeste, the premier said “it’s a very important day for the future of our state – there’s a lot at stake”.
Our party has been a team for over 12 years that has transformed NSW ... We’ve turned the economy around, built the schools and hospitals, the trains and motorways that’s transformed people’s lives.
He also lauded the Coalition’s economic credentials as getting families through rampant inflation.
You can’t support households if you don’t have a strong budget. It is strong economic and financial management that ensures downward pressure on household budgets ... and we’ve done that.
- AAP
Updated
Vote, sausage, swim
Is this the most scenic polling booth in Sydney? Labor got in early to take the best real estate at Clovelly surf club. But the mood was upbeat from all sides as they fired up the barbecue and the process of democracy. Voting in your bathers is perfectly acceptable.
Updated
Albanese says NSW ‘needs a change of government’
Just circling back to the prime minister’s press conference earlier today. Anthony Albanese clearly made the case for a change of state government, but his criticism of Dominic Perrottet himself was muted in comparison to his attack on the NSW Liberals.
I think New South Wales needs a change of government. You see a government when it’s at the end of its life, when it’s too busy fighting each other. And Dominic Perrottet and Chris Minns are both very good people. I like both of them. I’ve worked closely with Dominic Perrottet, he’s been constructive in his relationships as the New South Wales premier. But the government he leads is a complete shambles.
The Liberals are too busy fighting each other and fighting the Nationals, and the Nationals fighting other Nationals, to actually fight for the people of NSW. They’re distracted from the business of delivering better education and health services, and they’re obsessed with privatising essential assets. We can’t afford any more privatisation in NSW.
Updated
Dutton notably absent on NSW election day
The federal opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has been missing from the Coalition’s campaign throughout the lead-up to the NSW poll.
Premier Dominic Perrottet batted away questions about Dutton’s absence on Saturday, telling Seven’s Sunrise program that he didn’t need a “wingman” for his election pitch:
This is an election on NSW issues, it’s a NSW election.
Of course, Dutton’s seat of Dickson is in Queensland, which explains why he hasn’t been voting this morning.
Updated
Matt Kean deflects Liberal leadership questions
NSW treasurer Matt Kean has refused to get involved in the consequences of a potential Coalition loss today, saying he won’t comment on whether he would make a leadership tilt.
Speaking to Sky News, Kean said premier Dominic Perrottet would remain, “whatever happens tonight”:
I’m sure that he’ll continue to keep fighting whatever happens tonight. I intend to ensure that we win government.
The key things is that we ensure we hold our heartland seats ... History is against us ... We don’t intend to lose tonight.
What I want to do is to make sure we continue to build a strong economy, ... and that’s what I’m going to keep fighting for.
Updated
Analysis – Peter Dutton risks cementing his reputation as a wrecker
Chief political correspondent Paul Karp’s column today is about Peter Dutton and where he finds himself on the voice issue.
It’s not clear which way he will swing, but Labor are apparently convinced that he will end up on the no side and therefore increasing their chances of inflicting a damaging defeat on the Albanese government.
The leader of the opposition has been engaged in a three-month shadow campaign on the surface demanding details about the voice but in substance raising doubts that drive down support for it. That campaign is now likely to be extended because Albanese opted against proposals to limit the voice’s powers by giving it input into decisions of parliament but not the executive government.
The risks of that path are that he dooms the party to cycle of very negative positions which could backfire.
The danger for the Liberals is that without proper deliberation they will be locked into opposition for its own sake on big calls that could damage their leader and their brand.
Labor has framed the voice as a chance for national leadership from both sides, and urged Dutton not to repeat the mistake of boycotting the apology to the Stolen Generations (for which he apologised).
Here’s the full piece again:
Australia’s aquaculture industry looks beyond fishmeal to improve sustainability
Australia’s growing aquaculture industry is trying to end its reliance on fishmeal in order to become more sustainable.
Fish farms have traditionally been reliant on fishmeal, a feed made from small fish such as anchovies which is often fished unsustainably in developing countries. The practice has jeopardised the industry’s environmental credentials, says Ian Urbania, a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist and founder of non-profit journalism organisation The Outlaw Ocean Project:
The whole reason for aquaculture was to slow down ocean depletion. And then they got hooked on feeding and fattening the fish faster.
A lot of these fisheries use bottom trawlers with a lot of bycatch, and often smaller species and baby fish, which depletes the ocean more than the wild-catch fishing it was intended to replace.
In Australia, where fish farms are steadily overtaking wild-caught fish as the predominant form of seafood production, the industry has worked to move away from the controversial feed product.
Updated
Co-owners of troubled Queensland coal plant in voluntary administration
Plans to bring central Queensland’s troubled Callide C coal-fired power station back online are slated to go ahead despite its co-owners sliding into voluntary administration.
The power station near Biloela has been plagued with issues, having catastrophically failed after an explosion in its turbine hall in May 2021.
The resulting outage hit more than 470,000 homes and businesses between the NSW border and Cape York.
Part of a cooling tower collapsed at the power station in October last year, 16 months after the explosion. Both its C3 and C4 generating units remain offline after the incidents.
Deloitte turnaround and restructuring partners Grant Sparks and Richard Hughes were on Friday announced as voluntary administrators over four IG Energy Group entities: IG Power, IG Energy Holdings, IG Power Holdings and IG Power Marketing.
- AAP
Updated
PM avoids the traditional sausage eating snap: ‘It’s not going to happen’
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has gone to some length to ensure photographers don’t get a shot of him eating a democracy sausage. He tried shielding the snack with a paper plate before turning around and saying:
They’re going to try and get the sausage shot. It’s not going to happen.
"They're going to try and get the sausage shot, it's not going to happen." PM Anthony Albanese learns from the mistake of others ahead of casting his vote in the NSW Election. Everything you need to know here. https://t.co/4LcMPgkS3x #nswvotes @SBSNews pic.twitter.com/pKjd88TpDN
— Naveen Razik (@naveenjrazik) March 25, 2023
Perhaps Albanese is eager to avoid the mistake made by former Labor leader Bill Shorten, who inexplicably attacked the sausage from the middle while campaigning.
former Australian Labour Party Prime Ministerial candidate Bill Shorten eating a sausage roll the wrong way pic.twitter.com/I23UqouJZY
— tom (@fistfuloffrags) April 22, 2021
Updated
Labor heavyweights join campaign
The prime minister and environment minister are out campaigning this morning. Tanya Plibersek is voting in her own electorate of Sydney and is joined by NSW Labor senator Tony Sheldon.
It’s election day NSW.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) March 25, 2023
I’m supporting @ChrisMinnsMP & his Labor team to deliver a fresh start for NSW.
This morning I’m talking to voters & supporting Lyndal Howison, Labor’s candidate for Ryde.
Lyndal’s a former public school teacher and councillor and she’ll make a great MP. pic.twitter.com/9YjAvCDvZw
Down at Crown St PS this morn with @senator_sheldon supporting the unstoppable @Skyetito, Labor’s candidate for Sydney. pic.twitter.com/0u275JjlD5
— Tanya Plibersek (@tanya_plibersek) March 25, 2023
Updated
Will we get a result on election night?
Given the likelihood of a hung NSW parliament, it’s definitely possible we won’t get a final result on election night.
According to the NSW Electoral Commission, counting will cease on election night at 10:30pm. Any other vote counting not completed on election night will continue on Monday with no counts taking place on Sunday.
Why bosses should think twice before those after-hours emails
Stepping away from the NSW election for just a moment. Some new research suggests managers should let up on their constant barrage of out-of-hours contact with workers or risk their staff burning out.
Researchers from Australia, the US and Europe have found unnecessary and non-urgent contact after workers are supposed to have clocked off is causing elevated stress levels and depressive moods among employees.
The Covid-19 pandemic forced people to embrace working from home, bringing the undeniable perks of flexibility and reclaimed commuting time.
But the ease of contact in a digitalised workplace is a double-edged sword, with the promise of work-from-home freedom in fact delivering the opposite outcome, according to RMIT researcher Mayowa Babalola:
Borderless workplaces are giving managers 24/7 access to employees where constant connectivity with managers is an expectation rather than an option.
We found many are realising that the constant ping of (Microsoft) Teams and late-night emails are bringing work stress and depressive symptoms into their personal lives.
The collaborative international study, which involved Melbourne’s RMIT among other institutions, surveyed nearly 900 Americans in blue- and white-collar jobs, finding the results were relevant across industries from administration and finance to construction and plumbing.
Updated
Minns ‘will make a great premier’, Albanese says
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has made a few remarks after voting in the electorate of Ryde in Sydney’s north-west.
He’s been asked what a Labor victory would mean federally:
I’ve worked very closely with Chris [Minns] and we have similar values. I campaigned strongly yesterday, I was in Penrith and Riverstone, the day before I was in Monaro. Today I am in Ryde and Drummoyne and Summer Hill and Balmain. I’ll be out and about because I think he will make a great premier of New South Wales and I hope he is successful.
This is a Coalition-held seat. This isn’t my first visit to this seat. I have been here before for two reasons: for the cause of Labor but secondly, Lyndal [Howison] is, I think, just outstanding. I really want to see Lyndal be the member of Ryde because I know the capacity that she will bring to the job.
Updated
South Australia records first measles case since 2019
South Australia has recorded its first case of measles in a resident since 2019 after a three-year-old boy was infected.
The boy, from regional South Australia, was infected while travelling overseas.
SA Health warned anyone who wasn’t fully vaccinated against the measles to keep watch for symptoms over the next few weeks, particularly if they visited certain areas during specific times.
The warning areas included Murray Bridge Swimming Centre on Friday, March 17 between 4pm and 6pm, and the Murray Bridge hospital emergency department waiting area on Wednesday, March 22 between 9.30am and 1pm.
The boy also visited the waiting area on Thursday, March 23 between 9am and 9.45am.
There were two additional warning areas for Thursday: the Bridge Clinic at Murray Bridge between 9.30am and 11.15am, and the Women’s and Children’s hospital emergency department waiting area between noon and 12.45pm.
Symptoms start with fever, cough, runny nose and sore eyes, which were followed by a blotchy rash, SA Health said.
The rash usually began on the head and then spread down the body.
- AAP
Updated
Albanese votes with local candidate in Sydney’s north-west
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is voting this morning at the West Ryde Public School with the Labor candidate, Lyndal Howison, and the federal member for Bennelong, Jerome Laxale.
We may hear from Albanese after he votes, but likely only a few short remarks if anything.
Updated
#Perrottet now in East Hills - first equal most marginal seat in #NSW with 0.1 % buffer for Wendy Lindsay. Several announcements on the campaign trail in this seat including a major $200m Highway upgrade #nswvotes #nswelection #nswpol pic.twitter.com/lzHa1vG2Fu
— Farid Y. Farid (@FaridYFarid) March 24, 2023
Minns in ultra-marginal East Hills: ‘the voters decide what is a safe seat’
Labor leader Chris Minns is holding a press conference on election day. He has spent the morning so far campaigning in the seat of East Hills, the most marginal electorate in the state held by the Liberals.
Here’s a taste of what he said:
It’s hard for me to know how many people go to the booth undecided, but they will be met by Labor candidates across New South Wales who are energetic, excited about the future, and I am always amazed when I go to really safe conservative electorates and you have got a bright, bouncy Labor candidate who has put their heart and soul into our message in an electorate that is very, very tough for them to win.
Voters have got a funny way of determining what is a safe seat and a marginal seat and as soon as a political party on both sides believes that electorate is in the bag, more often than not the voters rise up and say, we will decide that, not you guys.
Updated
What is Antony Green looking for?
The ABC’s election analyst, Anthony Green, is already in front of the touch screen breaking down the key seats and trends. He’s told the ABC he’ll be looking at some regional electorates to start:
I’ll be looking for trends in the country because there are a couple of seats up in the north Tweed and the Murray. The Nationals think they might be able to gain that. If it is close at the end of all that, we’ll be looking at the city. There are some seats in the northern suburbs where there are independents running against the Liberal party. We have a band of seats in Winston Hills, in Parramatta, Penrith, which are all at risk, and a lot in the south. We will be watching all of those seats because the more seats that fall, the more likely you get a majority Labor government. Or will it be a hung parliament? If we will not know the result on the night there could be a negotiation for weeks ahead.
Updated
Labor posters focus on leader
Economics correspondent Peter Hannam has noticed Labor campaign material is highlighting the leader Chris Minns and his leadership team, at least at this polling station in Balmain.
Labor highlighting Minns in their campaign posters (in Balmain at least)… pic.twitter.com/ESygrnbAcX
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) March 24, 2023
Helen and I just voted to keep NSW moving forward. pic.twitter.com/YW5lExjpDV
— Dominic Perrottet (@Dom_Perrottet) March 24, 2023
Australians don’t want ‘American style’ campaigns with personal attacks, Minns says
Earlier we heard from NSW premier Dominic Perrottet, who revealed he exchanged texts with Labor leader Chris Minns last night. The pair wished each other good luck ahead of today’s poll.
The text messages are being interpreted by some, including Weekend Today hosts, as a sign of a more civilised election campaign, especially when compared with what we’ve seen at federal elections in recent years.
Here’s the exchange:
HOST: “It’s been a pretty civilised election campaign Chris. Why do you think that has been the way? Why hasn’t it got personal like it has in other states and federally, do you think?
MINNS:
Yeah, I think probably because the premier and myself like each other and I think that there’s a common respect there. We’ve managed to keep that for the entire election campaign and I’m hoping it becomes a feature of, if not NSW politics, then Australian politics.
You don’t have to take the low road and you don’t always have to, I guess, land a low blow. We can have an argument, if you like, about policies and who has got the better ideas for the future of NSW. So I think it has been a good feature of this election campaign that neither Dom or myself have launched personal attacks. You don’t need to run politics like that.
I don’t think we want to go down that American-style democracy where it’s just a fight to the bitter end and there’s no decency among the people who are running against each other.
Updated
Minns: NSW needs ‘new ideas and new perspectives’
Labor leader Chris Minns spoke to Weekend Today earlier this morning about that Newspoll in the Australian, which projects him to win today’s New South Wales election with a majority of seats.
Minns said his team is not taking anything for granted:
Polls don’t always get it right. Not everybody’s voted. In fact, most people still haven’t voted yet. No one has been elected. So I can promise everybody who is watching at home today, we are taking absolutely nothing for granted. We know it’s the people of NSW that decide elections and basically polls, at this point, aren’t worth anything because people actually have to get out and vote. So we’re hopeful. We’re going into this election with a hungry but humble philosophy, if you like, but it’s up to the people of NSW and we’re fighting for every vote.
Minns was also asked if he and his team were ready to govern the state. It’s been 12 years since Labor were in government in New South Wales. Here’s his response:
Absolutely. I’ve got a team that’s committed, united and very disciplined. It’s run an election campaign that has been hopeful and optimistic about what’s possible in NSW. I think what’s required and needed in NSW today is new ideas and new perspectives. Because if we have same policies that we’ve had for the last four years, we will have the same results for the next four years and what people in NSW need at the moment is change.
Updated
NSW premier Dominic Perrottet casts his vote at Beecroft Primary School #nswvotes @SBSNews pic.twitter.com/k8qGr3y8Y3
— Naveen Razik (@naveenjrazik) March 24, 2023
Key event
Minns: ‘Feeling good, feeling optimistic’
Labor leader Chris Minns has also addressed reporters while campaigning.
Minns was asked about today’s Newspoll, published in the Australian, which found he was “poised to lead the ALP into government after 12 years in the wilderness”.
Newspoll’s two-party-preferred result of 54.5-45.5 would represent a 6.5% swing against the Coalition since 2019.
He’s what Minns told reporters:
Feeling good, feeling optimistic. Now over to the people of New South Wales.
REPORTER: Good poll today?
There’s only one poll that counts. No, look people have to have their say and with a couple of hours to go, we are urging people to get out and cast a positive vote for change.
REPORTER: How many hours sleep?
A full night’s sleep. Absolutely. Thanks, guys.
REPORTER: Are you going at it until the dying stage?
Yeah, absolutely.
It’s all happening in East Hills this morning at Panania PS marginal seat with @ChrisMinnsMP #nswvotes #morethanthanks @TeachersFed pic.twitter.com/g9ZwffotdJ
— Kelly Marks (@kelmarx83) March 24, 2023
Updated
Perrottet makes final campaign pitch after voting in Epping
Dominic Perrottet has given some more expansive comments after voting a short time ago in his seat of Epping. He and Labor leader Chris Minns spoke last night, exchanging text messages and wishing each other good luck.
Here’s some more from the premier:
It’s a real honour to serve the people of New South Wales. There’s a lot at stake in this election. I will be working hard all day.
REPORTER: What would it mean for the Coalition to be delivered a historic fourth term?
It’s not about the Liberal or National party. Ultimately, elections are about our people. My team has the plan to deal with the challenges of today, but we’re all wanting to set up the state for the children.
REPORTER: The polling suggests that you have done a great job, you are popular. Do you think your baggage, in a way, is actually the Liberal party? That you’re popular but people are reluctant to bring in the Liberal party again?
Our party has been here for 12 years, it’s transformed New South Wales. We were the worst performing economy, the state had stalled. We’ve turned that around. We’ve built schools and hospitals, the motorways have transformed people’s lives. But it’s all about the future and where we go from here. I believe my team has the plan, the experience, energy and ideas to take the state forward.
Updated
Perrottet: ‘It’s a very important day’
Dominic Perrottet has made a few very brief remarks before voting in his seat of Epping in north-west Sydney. Here’s what he said:
I love election day. It’s a great day. Ultimately, it’s a very important day for people in New South Wales. It’s a privilege to be the premier of the best state in this country and my team’s got the plan to deal with the challenges of today, obviously New South Wales moving forward and setting it up for our children.
Reporter: Did the kids have a message for you this morning?
Good luck.
#NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has arrived at Beecroft Public School in his seat of Epping in norwest #Sydney to cast his vote, hoping for a historic 4th term in power #nswpol #nswvotes #nswelection @AAPNewswire pic.twitter.com/wphVTvL03Y
— Farid Y. Farid (@FaridYFarid) March 24, 2023
Updated
Need a quick catch-up on the NSW election?
My colleagues Mostafa Rachwani and Abhranil Hazra have compiled a very handy, easy to read, explainer for you. It’s got lots of information about how and where to vote, but also looks at possible outcomes such as:
Could the election result in a hung parliament?
With a larger number of independents running and hoping to hurt the incumbent government’s chances, there is a high likelihood the election will result in a hung parliament, with neither party able to form majority government.
Both Labor and the Coalition require 47 seats to win government, with the Coalition currently sitting on 45 seats, and Labor on 38. It is highly likely the Greens will back Labor to form government, but it could still fall short.
If both parties fall short, they will both need to enter negotiations with the crossbench.
The Coalition has technically been in minority government since 2021, when MPs John Sidoti and Gareth Ward moved to the crossbench, while Andrew Constance resigned and Labor picked up his seat in a byelection.
You can read the full story here:
Updated
Find your closest polling booth
The NSW Electoral Commission is here to help:
Voting is now open for the 2023 NSW State election. You can vote at any voting centre in NSW from 8am to 6pm.
— NSW Electoral Commission (@NSWElectoralCom) March 24, 2023
Find voting centres near you using our ‘Find my electorate’ tool: https://t.co/qJpCMSvkQd pic.twitter.com/OuYcMr1jUI
Updated
Australian banks predict another interest rate rise
Australia’s big four banks are forecasting future interest rate rises, ignoring bets in financial markets that the cash rate has reached its peak.
ANZ, CBA, NAB and Westpac believe the RBA will lift its key interest rate by at least another 25 basis points, based on economic data already released. Earlier this month, the RBA hiked the rate for a record 10th consecutive time to 3.6%.
Investors responded to turmoil in financial markets over the past fortnight by slashing expectations about RBA rate moves, predicting the next move would be lower, after US authorities rescued Silicon Valley Bank and two others and the Swiss government helped UBS take over the ailing financial services company Credit Suisse.
Investors expect the RBA to pause its interest rate hikes in April, with the next move a cut. Commercial bank economists are not so confident that the RBA's job is done. pic.twitter.com/MSLJltdk6h
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) March 24, 2023
However, the US Federal Reserve, the Bank of England and even the Swiss National Bank each lifted official interest rates this week, viewing the fight against inflation higher priority than easing the squeeze on their respective economies.
Australia’s main commercial banks think the RBA have at least as much reason to stay on its inflation-beating course given the relative stability of the country’s financial system. The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, this week said he was receiving twice-daily briefings and that “our banks are well-regulated, well-capitalised and highly liquid and are in a better position than most to deal with these disruptions”.
The democracy sausages are sizzling
If you’re out voting in NSW this morning, let us know what’s going on.
People voting this morning here in #Heathcote!! #nswpol #auspol #nswvotes #nswelection pic.twitter.com/m0az0wuFnR
— Angelo von Möller (@IhaveabluehatMP) March 24, 2023
I really like the way we do democracy. Support your local school. #NSWvotes pic.twitter.com/o9piCPh48u
— 𝚁𝚘𝚋𝚒𝚗 𝚃𝚎𝚗𝚗𝚊𝚗𝚝-𝚆𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝙿𝚑𝙳 🌏 (@rtennantwood) March 24, 2023
@DemSausage Albion Park Rail Public in the NSW seat of Kiama now live with bacon and egg rolls and sausâge rolls! #democracySausage ! #NSWvotes #NSWVotes2023 #kiamavotes pic.twitter.com/o7WR6UjX41
— Mark Whalan (@MWhalan) March 24, 2023
Voting under way in NSW
Voting is under way in NSW, with more than 4 million people across the state set to decide who will form government for the next four years.
By Friday close to a quarter of the state’s 5.5 million voters had cast their ballots, AAP reported, with nearly 1.2 million people pre-polling and 92,000 lodging postal votes.
The premier, Dominic Perrottet, and the Labor leader, Chris Minns, have campaigned hard in key seats in western Sydney, where one in 10 Australians live and could well decide the election result.
Perrottet is expected to vote in his seat of Epping, in Sydney’s north-west while Minns will cast his vote in the seat of Kogarah, in the city’s south, which he holds by a 0.1 per cent margin.
The premier is seeking a fourth consecutive four-year term for his Liberal-National coalition on a platform of responsible financial management he says would fund life-changing infrastructure.
It would be the first time the party has managed the feat since 1973.
Updated
Western Sydney ‘a tight contest’
Western Sydney could be key to the NSW election result today. As Andy Marks from Western Sydney University explains, there are a number of seats in play.
Here’s what Marks told ABC News a short time ago:
Election time is our time to shine in western Sydney, it seems. It’s always a tight contest. This time round, it’s no different. There’s roughly about seven seats that are in play. So its common place to see politicians on every corner. You’ll notice that a lot of the big announcements have been made in western Sydney, both major parties camped out there for a few weeks.
Marks said it was difficult to call who would win the majority of seats in western Sydney.
Polling has taken a battering as well, since the Morrison victory against the odds. It’s very difficult to gauge whether or not the polling is accurate. And also, this is different because it’s a bit of a street by street contest. Neighbourhood issues that are bubbling up as opposed to the big ticket stuff.
Updated
Share market falls for seventh straight week
The local share market has endured its seventh consecutive losing week as interest rate hikes and fears about the stability of the global banking system weighed on sentiment.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index finished the trading week yesterday afternoon down 13.4 points, or 0.19%, to 6,955.2, after having been down as much as 0.65% in the first 15 minutes of trading, Australian Associated Press reports.
For the week the ASX200 lost 39.6 points, or 0.57%. Its seven-week losing streak is its longest such stretch since nine consecutive weeks of losses during the global financial crisis in mid-2008.
Recent weeks have seen the failure of Silicon Valley Bank in the US and the Swiss investment bank, Credit Suisse. On Friday shares in Deutsche Bank, another European investment bank that has struggled since the GFC, fell 14%.
Overnight the Bank of England raised rates by 25 basis points, a widely anticipated move after official data released Wednesday showed higher than expected inflation, with consumer prices rising 10.4 per cent in the year to February.
While some economists have suggested that the global banking chaos might prompt the Reserve Bank to pause its rate hike campaign at its next meeting a week from Tuesday, Tadgell said he thought it was “highly probable” that Australia’s central bank would again hike rates.
The ASX’s 11 official sectors were mixed on Friday, with five gaining ground and six losing it.
On Friday, NAB was the biggest loser among the Big Four banks, falling 1.6% to $27.18. CBA dropped 1.2% to $95.84, ANZ retreated 1.1% to $22.52 and Westpac subtracted 0.6% to $21.20.
Updated
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage on a day that will be dominated by the state election in New South Wales.
The election promises to be the closest for 16 years following a run of fairly comfortable Coalition wins. Labor, under the leadership of Chris Minns, believes it will end its 12-year stint in the wilderness but the Coalition is pinning its hopes on premier Dominic Perrottet’s disciplined campaign. The final Newspoll of the election pointed to a Labor win by 54.5% to 45.5%, a 6.5% swing since the 2019 election and enough to secure 10 seats. Can they do it? Here’s everything you need to know about the big day.
A constitutional expert has described the proposed the proposed Indigenous voice as a “safe and sensible” legal option, dismissing concerns that the advisory body would be too powerful. George Williams, professor of law at the University of New South Wales, says the change is “strikingly modest” and “should remove doubts that parliament is fettered or limited”. Our chief political correspondent, Paul Karp, writes today that opposition leader Peter Dutton faces a dilemma about whether to support the reform. Go with yes and he risks being sidelined. Back a no vote and he will cement his reputation as a wrecker.
The Australian stock market could be in for another sticky day on Monday after shares fell sharply again in Europe overnight amid continued fears about the banking system. In Friday’s session in Sydney, the ASX fell for the seventh week running and it was down by 0.19% on the day. Futures point to the index opening down 1% on Monday morning. It comes as Australian banks think the RBA will raise rates again a week on Tuesday despite the market turmoil which some have speculated might bring an end to the record 10 successive months of hikes.
