NSW election: Counting continues after Premier Gladys Berejiklian claims victory

NSW Labor leader Michael Daley is clinging onto leadership even though people aren’t happy — and he’s likely to face a challenge.

• Counting continues with coalition short one seat
• Michael Daley dismisses ‘ridiculous’ question
• Gladys Berejiklian says result could have one either way

Counting in the NSW election has resumed.

Counting in the NSW election has resumed and Premier Gladys Berejiklian needs to win one more seat to give the coalition a majority.

6.40pm

NSW Labor ‘ropeable’ as Daley clings to leadership

Michael Daley wants to remain leader of the NSW Labor Party, despite a disastrous lead-up to the state election — and a likely challenge for the top job.

Labor may win only two seats — Coogee and Lismore — and as the reality of the party’s election performance sets in, people inside the NSW Labor camp are “ropeable”, the Sydney Morning Herald is reporting.

Kogarah MP Chris Minns has suggested he will challenge for leadership if he clings to his seat, and Strathfield MP Jodi McKay may also throw her hat in the ring, according to the ABC.

Mr Daley said he had spoken to Ms McKay, who is the Opposition Transport Minister, who offered her support.

“If there’s a challenge or not, it’s up to the members of the caucus,” he said today.

“I am the best person to lead the party.”

Mr Daley claims to have the support of Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten as well as the NSW Labor head office.

He said it was “way too early” to start making calls to woo party members.

Mr Daley has been Labor leader for just 134 days, following the resignation of Luke Foley.

His campaign came unstuck a week out from the election, when he struggled in a final televised election debate and when video emerged of him making comments about “Asians with PhDs”.

4.00pm

Berejiklian confident of NSW majority win

Premier Gladys Berejiklian expects to form a majority government with up to 49 seats after the Liberals performed better than expected at the state election, but she acknowledges western NSW lodged a “cry for help” when punishing the junior coalition partner.

Ms Berejiklian on Sunday again refused to concede the loss of any Liberal seats despite most pundits calling the eastern suburbs electorate of Coogee as a Labor gain.

The Liberal leader told reporters the coalition would win between 47 and 49 seats, allowing her to continue governing in her own right.

With almost 70 per cent of the votes counted, the Liberal-Nationals coalition had 46 seats — just one short of an outright majority — in the 93-seat parliament.

But even if it falls short, Ms Berejiklian will be able to rely on the three returning independents — Alex Greenwich, Greg Piper and Joe McGirr.

“I want them to have a strong working relationship with my government from day one — not just when I might need them,” the premier told reporters on Sunday.

Ms Berejiklian said the win gave her an opportunity to put a new team together in a cabinet reshuffle.

The Nationals losses in Barwon and Murray in addition to massive swings against them in a swathe of other seats was a sign regional communities are doing it tough, the premier said.

“I’ve heard what they’ve said loudly and clearly ... in some ways it was a cry for help from western NSW.”

The western third of NSW now belongs to the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party, who picked up both Barwon and Murray, while massively extending theirlead in Orange.

-AAP

12.20pm

‘I was realistically not expecting this result’

NSW Liberal Premier Gladys Berejiklian has praised her colleagues after a challenging campaign.

“I was realistically not expecting this result and I’m deeply grateful for it,” Ms Berejiklian told reporters today. “It could have gone either way, the result.”

Ms Berejiklian said she thought people were a bit confused as there were “essentially two campaigns going on at the same time”, with the federal election expected in May.

“The state election seemed to creep up on some people,” she said.

However, she thought the NSW result placed the government in a strong position to support the federal government.

She noted the Liberal party had not been elected for a third term in NSW for half a century.

“It’s not something that is achieved easily. And that’s why I feel so humbled with the result because what the people of NSW are saying is … you haven’t done everything perfectly, but we trust in you and we want you to keep going.”

Ms Berejiklian said she thought every single member of the government could “hold their heads up high”.

“The result we achieved. I think that it was better than expectations,” she said.

“I’m incredibly proud of my colleagues who had swings to them.”

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Newly re-elected NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian picks up some flowers delivered by local Liberal Party member Max Menzies. Picture: Tracey Nearmy/Daily Telegraph

Ms Berejiklian also acknowledged the disappointing result in western NSW where the Nationals have lost at least two seats to the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party.

“What we all saw from last night’s result is a lot of families are struggling — especially in western New South Wales,” she said.

“The drought is biting hard. I hear that. And as premier, it’s my responsibility to make sure that we listen to the communities and support them during this difficult time.”

Ms Berejiklian reiterated that she would not be forming any alliances with the SFF but she was not going to turn her back on the communities that voted for them.

“Yesterday, in some ways, it was a cry for help from western NSW.”

Asked whether Nationals leader and deputy coalition leader John Barilaro should keep his job, Ms Berejiklian said party leadership was always a matter for her peers.

“But my experience with John Barilaro is that he’s been amazing deputy Premier and outstanding fighter for rural and regional parties. He’s been simply outstanding, I couldn’t have done my job without his support and I’m deeply grateful for it.”

Ms Berejiklian said she also wants to have a strong relationship with the independents in parliament.

“I want them to be part (of) and have a strong working relationship with my government from day one, not just when I might need them,” she said.

Despite Labor’s focus on the stadiums debate, Ms Berejiklian said she knew it was the number one issue people were worried about.

Gladys Berejiklian speaks to media in Willoughby after the NSW state election in Sydney. Picture: Tracey Nearmy/Daily Telegraph

“When I went to the bush, people talked to me about hospitals and roads and water security. “In far western New South Wales, the biggest issue is water security. And in the cities depending on where they lived, it was either transport or hospitals or the local school.

“This is why it’s so important for all of us, and I say to all of my colleagues … be connected to your communities. Do not assume what you hear and what you read is what people think. You’ve got to speak to people directly yourself.”

Ms Berejiklian was also asked whether she found Mr Daley’s comments on Asian immigration personally offensive.

“I did, just as I did when Mr Foley made his comments,” she said. “I’m born here. I’m very proud of my heritage, but every time a comment is made about one’s background, it is offensive.

“I hope that I send a message to young boys and girls that it doesn’t matter who you are, where you live and your circumstances, everybody can be their best.

“I hope everybody feels inspired to make a difference in their own lives.”

11.24am

‘What a ridiculous question’

NSW Labor leader Michael Daley insists he wants to keep his job but doesn’t have a time frame for when his leadership will be confirmed.

After last night’s disappointing NSW election result, Mr Daley fronted the media and faced questions about his leadership.

He said he had the support of head office and had spoken to federal Labor leader Bill Shorten but would not reveal what was said.

He doesn’t know how long it will take for his leadership to be confirmed but said he had received calls from MPs encouraging to stay on as leader.

When asked whether his leadership had damaged Labor’s chances of winning, Mr Daley said: “I worked as hard as I could. I have answered that question four or five different ways”.

When asked whether he would continue as the member for Maroubra if he lost the leadership, Mr Daley said: “I won’t speculate. I put my hand up for four years for this seat. It is where I live. That is a ridiculous question.”

Michael Daley speaks to the media at Maroubra Beach today. Picture: Joel Carrett/AAP.

Mr Daley again apologised for his comments in a video that Asian migrants were taking local jobs in a video, which emerged a week before polling day and look to have damaged Labor’s vote.

“I did use the wrong choice of words and I have apologised unreservedly and I give an unqualified apology again today,” Mr Daley said.

Mr Daley blamed the election result partly on a “disengaged electorate” and said he didn’t have time to go out and talk to people.

“I think what you’ve to keep in mind is I took the leadership four months ago, under difficult circumstances, and I had a very, very short time frame to establish myself and I have worked as hard as I can,” he said.

He acknowledged he had made some mistakes in the campaign but defended his party’s focus on the stadiums debate, describing it as a “profligate waste of money”.

“I won’t start second guessing our campaign. We did what we thought at the time was right.”

Mr Daley also noted that “all the major parties went backwards yesterday”.

“There’s deep cynicism in the electorate and that concerns me.”

9am

Counting continues

Counting in the NSW election continues today, with Premier Gladys Berejiklian sweating on winning one more seat to allow the coalition to govern in its own right for its third term.

With most of the votes counted on Saturday night, the coalition had 46 seats — 34 for the Liberals and 12 for the Nationals.

Labor held 35, well short of the 47 seats needed to form a majority government.

Ms Berejiklian has already promised to work with the three independents — Joe McGirr, Alex Greenwich and Greg Piper — for smooth government.

Her victory made her the first woman to be popularly elected premier in the history of NSW.

ABC election analyst Antony Green said the Berejiklian government suffered a swing of 2.3 against it, but it wasn’t been enough to force it out of power.

Meanwhile, in the Upper House, former federal Labor leader Mark Latham looks like making a return to parliamentary life as a One Nation MP. A total of 21 NSW Legislative Council seats were up for election on Saturday.