NSW election trends: a decisive Labor win, uneven swings and a large crossbench

‘While the Labor majority may be slim, there’s a much larger crossbench than in past elections, and the overall progressive vote is much larger.’
Photograph: James Gourley/AAP

The New South Wales state election result was a resounding defeat for the Liberal-National Coalition government and a clear victory for Labor. Yet this victory occurred in an environment of an increasing minor-party and independent vote, and the largest crossbench in modern NSW history.

In some ways there were a lot of parallels with last year’s federal election result. A slim parliamentary majority alongside a large crossbench, with the outgoing government badly defeated. But this Labor victory was bigger than last year’s federal election result and Labor managed to pick up a number of regional seats in addition to gains in urban areas.