Chris Minns refuses to rule out challenge to Michael Daley for Labor leadership

Labor frontbencher Chris Minns is being pressured to challenge Michael Daley for the leadership following Saturday night’s disastrous performance. Meanwhile Premier Gladys Berejiklian is acknowledging the pain being felt by bush voters and promising to make water management in western NSW a priority.

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Labor frontbencher Chris Minns is being pressured to challenge Michael Daley for the leadership following last night’s disastrous performance.

One senior MP told The Daily Telegraph Mr Daley’s leadership was “untenable”.

But Mr Daley said he was still the best person to lead the party, claiming he did not have enough time for the electorate to get to him.

NSW Opposition Leader Michael Daley and NSW Shadow Minister for Water Chris Minns at a press conference in January. Picture: AAP Image/Joel Carrett

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When questioned by The Daily Telegraph, Mr Minns did not rule out a leadership challenge, saying it was a time for party “soul searching”.

“It must be a time for soul searching within the party, not just about leadership, but that must also be part of the conversation,” he said.

“It must also be about policy. At the end of the day Labor is at its best when people are voting for Labor and not just against the Liberals.”

Michael Daley leaving his home for a press conference at Maroubra Beach on Sunday morning. Picture: Jonathan Ng

The crucial concern about a Labor leadership challenge is that the party ballot process would take up to six weeks, which would overlap with the federal election.

Mr Minns’s own seat has been hurt by Mr Daley’s now infamous Asian migration comments.

Mr Minns is locked on primary vote in Kogarah after suffering a swing against him. However he is ahead in all booths that didn’t have a Chinese majority.

The seat has 28 per cent Chinese ancestry.

‘I HAVEN’T HAD THE TIME TO ESTABLISH MYSELF’

Speaking in his home electorate of Maroubra — which he retained despite a 10 per cent swing — Mr Daley said he had not spoken to Mr Minns regarding a leadership challenge.

But he insisted he had the support of the party’s head office as well as Jodi McKay, another frontbencher who was also considered a potential leadership contender.

Michael Daley said he his ready to lead Labor during the next four years in opposition. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Mr Daley also said he had received a number of calls from MPs and candidates this morning encouraging him to stay on as leader, but he refused to name them.

“I haven’t spoken to Chris, no, and whether there’s a challenge or not is up to … the members of the caucus,” he said.

“But I made it very clear last night that after such a short period of time in the leadership with 134 days, a lot of which we lost to Christmas and the New Year period, I haven’t had the time to establish myself to have the deep and genuine conversation that I needed to do, to have, with the people of NSW to establish our credentials.”

Michael Daley has a family lunch after holding a press conference at Maroubra Beach. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Mr Daley confirmed he had spoken with federal Labor leader Bill Shorten but said the conversation was “confidential”.

He said both he and the Premier made some mistakes in the campaign, but his errors received more coverage than hers.

“Yes I’ve made some mistakes in the campaign, the Premier made some mistakes in the campaign as well, and I’ll keep going — I am the best person to lead the party, that’s why I put my hand up in the first place,” he said

“I worked as hard as I can for four months. We didn’t get the result we wanted but I have a responsibility now to regroup and do the job that oppositions are charged with.”

Asked whether he had made any calls seeking support, Mr Daley said it was “too early to do that”.

If a leadership challenge were to go ahead, he said it would take about a fortnight for the Labor caucus executive to determine a process for a party membership ballot.

THE BATTLE FOR MAROUBRA

Mr Daley was also grilled about how he could remain leader when there was a serious swing against him in his own seat of Maroubra.

While he refused to speculate about whether it had anything to do with his anti-migrant remarks, Mr Daley said campaigning in marginal seats took him away from the electorate.

“I faced a strong independent and a Liberal Party candidate … who had a very high profile and they ran a strong campaign against me,” he said.

Michael Daley talks to a lifeguard at Maroubra Beach, after admitting he didn’t spend enough time campaigning in his own electorate because he prioritised marginal seats. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“I didn’t campaign in Maroubra because I was out in marginal seats and I wasn’t going to fall for the bait where they ran a strong campaign against me here and took me away.

“I had a responsibility for the party and that responsibility was what I discharged.”

He also deflected questions about how he could remain Labor leader when the party’s primary vote went backwards, dropping from 34 per cent in 2015 to 33 per cent.

“On primary votes we (major parties) all went backwards and there’s a deep cynicism in the electorate and that concerns me,” he said

GLADYS CONFIDENT OF MAJORITY GOVERNMENT

Meanwhile, a triumphant Premier Gladys Berejiklian is confident of forming majority government and has indicated better water management in western NSW will be a priority for her new leadership, acknowledging the loss of seats in the bush was because voters were “hurting”.

Speaking in her seat of Willoughby, Ms Berejiklian said the Liberal party continued to hang on to the ultra-marginal seats of Coogee and East Hills with the vote yet to be determined.

Re-elected Premier Gladys Berejiklian steps out on Sunday morning, walking to the local gym for a workout. Picture: Tracey Nearmy/Daily Telegraph

She expects to form a majority government with 47-49 seats but on Sunday morning was quick to acknowledge her tenuous grip on power, saying she would work with the three independents on the cross bench immediately.

“I want to make sure the three independents know I don’t take them for granted and that I want them to have a strong working relationship with my government from day one, not just when I might need them, but from day one,” she said.

Ms Berejiklian arrives at a press conference in Willoughby later on Sunday. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Ms Berejiklian at the press conference. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Ms Berejiklian is hugged by a friend after the press conference. Picture: Tracey Nearmy/Daily Telegraph

Ms Berejiklian also acknowledged the losses suffered by the Nationals — the seats of Barwon and Murray — saying she knew voters in western NSW were suffering.

“As the drought is hitting hard in western NSW our government’s attention has to turn to those people who are doing it tough,” she said.

Despite the losses suffered by the Nationals, Ms Berejiklian said deputy leader John Barilaro continued to have her support.

Ms Berejiklian catches up with her sisters Mary and Rita at a cafe in Willoughby on Sunday. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

But she flagged a major reshuffle of her cabinet was imminent.

“Obviously this gives me an opportunity to put together a new team,” she said.

Ms Berejiklian spent Saturday night celebrating her victory with more than 300 supports in Willoughby and said there were times in the campaign she feared she would lose.

“I was realistically not expecting this result and I’m deeply grateful for it.”