NSW election: Internal Labor polling reveals large swings towards party in Parramatta, Ryde
Internal party polling has revealed big potential swings towards Labor challengers in two key Sydney electorates whose popular Liberal incumbents have decided to hang up the boots.
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Internal party polling conducted by NSW Labor has indicated potentially huge swings towards the party in two key Sydney electorates where longstanding Liberal incumbents have decided to hang up the boots.
Senior Labor figures have received internal polling which indicates two-party preferred swings “in the ballpark of 16 per cent” in the battleground electorates of Parramatta and Ryde. In Parramatta, the retirement of popular Liberal incumbent Geoff Lee has opened the door for Labor’s candidate and local mayor Donna Davis.
She’ll contest the seat against lawyer and Liberal candidate Katie Mullens.
In Ryde, the retirement of another popular Liberal incumbent, Victor Dominello, has opened another door for Labor, with the polling indicating candidate Lyndal Howison would be set to turn the seat red ahead of mayor Jordan Lane, the Liberals’ pick.
Sources with knowledge of the data said the polling was conducted on the week of January 9.
On the day the polling was revealed to Labor figures, the TAB shortened the party’s odds from about 1.80 to 1.30, where it sits now.
NSW Labor, like all major parties, conducts polling consistently across election campaigns, but the recent figures and swings in the two seats both chime with YouGov polling – released on Sunday — and paint a positive picture for Opposition Leader Chris Minn’s bid for government.
In exclusive polling for the Telegraph, YouGov revealed voters were set to hand Mr Minns and Labor a wider margin than that secured last year by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over Scott Morrison.
The polling put support for Mr Perrottet at just 44 per cent of voters to Labor’s 56 per cent of the two-party preferred vote.
Speaking on Sunday in Rouse Hill to pledge $700m for a new hospital and 600 extra hospital beds for western Sydney, Mr Minns batted away questions about polling and said “nothing was being taken for granted”.
“I wouldn’t pay attention to the polls,” he said.
“I don’t want anyone in NSW thinking we’re taking anything for granted. We’ve got a huge task ahead of us, we’re hungry and humble – but no one in our team is taking anything for granted.”
YouGov’s polling also revealed how young voters could come out in their droves to elect a Minns government, but the Labor leader said this election would be “an arm-wrestle”.
“One thing we do know is that they (the Liberals) are very good at politics, they’re excellent at election campaigns, which is where they put most of their time and effort,” Mr Minns said.
“This election will be an absolute arm-wrestle.”
A Labor spokeswoman said the party would not confirm or deny the internal polling figures, and declined to comment.
Liberal candidate for Ryde Jordan Lane was contacted for comment.
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