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Greens eye holding balance of power as experts predict tight result in New South Wales election

Cate Faehrmann labels NSW election an 'opportunity to make change' at Greens' campaign launch

The Greens say they will not support a Coalition government if the party holds the balance of power after this month's New South Wales election.

With two weeks until election day, a host of independents and Greens candidates are preparing for a hung parliament on Macquarie Street, as polls predict a tight battle between the major parties.

At a campaign launch on Saturday, the NSW Greens outlined a list of seven priorities for the next parliament including banning no-grounds evictions, action to address climate change, and gambling reforms.

Upper house member Cate Faehrmann said the March 25 poll was a "powerful opportunity" to create change in the state.

More than half of candidates on the party's upper house ticket are women, as are all of its candidates for "winnable" lower house seats.

"This election, we have a powerful opportunity to make change for the people of New South Wales and our previous environment because there is a real chance that the Greens could hold the balance of power in both houses of parliament," Senator Faehrmann said.

Cate Faehrmann says there a strong chance the Greens will claim the balance of power. (ABC News: Rani Hayman)

Cashless gaming has become a touchstone of the campaign, with the government committing to introducing the laws and Labor flagging a trial at some pubs and clubs.

Ms Faehrmann said if the Greens did hold the sway of power after the election, they would not settle for "half measures" such as a "trial that has been set up to fail".

She commented on the rise of "teal" independents in Australian politics, saying voters did not know "where they'll land" in the event of a hung parliament.

"Voters know where the Greens stand on issues that matter to them," she said.

Labor has "a lot of work to do" to convince the Greens they are "worth supporting", she said.

The NSW Greens unveiled their campaign priorities, including climate action and cashless gaming laws, at a launch in Sydney. (ABC News: Rani Hayman)

Newtown MP Jenny Leong is one of three lower house members who were in the last parliament.

Balmain MP Jamie Parker is retiring and the party has endorsed Inner West councillor Kobi Shetty to run in the inner-city seat.

The Greens currently have three members in the upper house.

Ms Leong said the election was a chance to change the "toxic political culture" in NSW.

She said recent elections had shown that sharing power was crucial to forming government.

"The days of claiming an absolute mandate by any of the old parties is well and truly over," she said.

Ms Leong said the party "will not support a Perrottet Liberal National government".

"But our support for a Minns Labor government comes with expectations — expectations to see real action on the changes that people in our communities and on our streets are crying out for," she said.

The 2023 NSW election explained.(Ashleigh Raper)

Among the Greens campaigning points are banning new coal and gas projects, reforms to rental laws, beginning a treaty and truth process for First Nations people in NSW, and repealing controversial anti-protest laws.

The party will also push for cashless gaming, the introduction of nurse-to-patient ratios, a ban on logging in public native forests and scrapping the public sector wage cap.

Labor has also committed to scrapping the public-sector wage cap and introducing nursing ratios.

Both major parties have pledged to ban no-grounds evictions, an issue which has come under growing scrutiny amid the state's housing and rental crisis.

Premier Dominic Perrottet and Opposition Leader Chris Minns have both announced net zero targets on energy policy.

NSW 02 — Who are Dominic Perrottet and Chris Minns?
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