NSW Election 2019: Michael Daley re-elected in Maroubra

It would have take a huge swing against the Opposition Leader Michael Daley to lose his safe seat of Maroubra and despite a 10 per cent swing he has been re-elected tonight.

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It would have taken a monumental upset for Opposition Leader Michael Daley to come unstuck in the safe Labor seat of Maroubra and he has retained the seat tonight, despite a 10 per cent swing against the ALP.

Just before 10pm, Mr Daley had a first preference vote of 41.88 per cent compared to his closest rival, Liberal candidate Pat Farmer on 31.31 per cent. Independent candidate Noel D’Souza scored 14.48 per cent of first preference votes.

Mr Daley has just conceded defeat to the Liberal Party for control of NSW but said it was his intention to remain the Opposition Leader. He thanked all of his supporters and said Labor had sought to make the election a contest of ideas, with a focus on important issues such as climate change.

“We will continue to look for the loftier things in public life and hold the Government to account,” he said.

Some local voters heading to the ballot box today were conscious of Mr Daley’s infamous comments about Asian migrants “taking” young people’s jobs, revealed on Monday, with some saying it had changed their perception of him.

Strathfield Labor MP Jodi McKay, speaking on the ABC, said Mr Daley’s comments and his performance during the leaders debate had really hurt Labor’s chances.

Speaking outside Maroubra Junction Public School, Daniel, who voted for the Greens instead of Labor, said the comments had turned him off Mr Daley.

NSW Opposition Leader Michael Daley with wife Christina and children Olivia and Austin at Chifley Public School in Malabar. Picture: AAP Image/Joel Carrett)

“A lot of my fiends are Asians with PHDs,” he said. “I was pretty neutral on him before but not anymore.”

Another voter, who moved to Australia from Thailand 48 years ago and asked not to be named, said Mr Daley’s comments had concerned her.

“I don’t classify myself as a migrant anymore but to me it says he has an ulterior motive about migrants,” she said.

But Mr Daley, who holds Maroubra with a 10.8 per cent margin, remains popular among other voters.

And since making the comments on Asian migrants, Daley has apologised unreservedly.

Christy, 33, cast her vote for Labor, saying she accepted Mr Daley’s apology and believed the comments had been taken out of context.

l-r: Christina Daley with Former Premier Bob Carr and his wife Helena Carr at Maroubra Junction Public School. Picture: Heath Parkes-Hupton

“It was bad but I don’t believe he meant it in a racist way,” she said.

Meanwhile former Maroubra MP and long-serving NSW Premier Bob Carr said he thought Mr Daley had bounced back from the scandal with strong campaigning in the final two days.

Mr Carr said he had spoken with Mr Daley on Friday night, urging him to hit the campaign trail in Penrith.

“I think he had some bad days, but he evened it out in the last two,” he said.

Bob Carr was confident of Labor’s prospects. Picture: Heath Parkes-Hupton

Mr Daley’s wife Christina told the Courier that she was “feeling confident” about the outcome of the election.

“He’s worked really, really hard. He’s only had two days off in the last four months,” Mrs Daley said.

“He’s told the people of NSW what his policies are … now it’s up to democracy.”

Mr Daley cast his vote at Chifley Public School early on Saturday morning.