Defeated Daley wants to stay on - but how?

NSW Labor leader Michael Daley with wife Christina concedes defeat on Saturday night.

Last night’s result is a huge win for Gladys Berejiklian, a night for serious soul searching by the once great NSW Labor Party and potentially career-ending for Michael Daley, whose gaffes have officially reached Latham handshake proportions.

NSW Labor has had an even worse result on primary vote than in Mike Baird’s 2015 election victory and has a long road back with Michael Daley now certain to be challenged.

As of 9pm, it appeared Ms Berejiklian could lose as few as four seats, to retain a majority, or six — meaning she would need just one independent — likely Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper — for confidence and supply to form government.

Mark Latham’s fateful handshake with then PM John Howard.

This is a huge achievement by Ms Berejiklian — a third Coalition term for the first time in decades and the first woman popularly elected Premier in NSW.

She did so despite the federal Liberal brand being damaged and despite the Nationals hurting her with their water policy — as evidenced by likely losses to the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers in Barwon and Murray.

The Shooters have recorded extraordinary votes in many seats and now face having three MPs in the Legislative Assembly.

Berejiklian’s fears were always in the bush. Many moved against her there but they didn’t move to Labor. Michael Daley’s disastrous last week had much to do with that.

Daley last night was quick to say he wanted to stay on as leader in his concession speech but his caucus and the party membership will decide that. How he could survive after that result is hard to see.

For Berejiklian, the proudest moment must have been to say the Liberal Party would not concede a single seat yet at the election - perhaps the slightest of digs to the Nationals.

She hit the election out of the park. Better than the polls suggested. She was the one who was tough and could take the pressure of the campaign and such a hard fought election. Daley could not.

Berejiklian now has a mandate to keep building and to keep NSW growing. She will face a tight and tough parliament in doing so. But Labor is destroyed. That should make life easier.