NSW election: John Howard warns of Labor-Shooters deal

John Howard has filmed television ads for the NSW Coalition warning of the dangers of a Labor-Shooters party coalition.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and local member Wendy Lindsay on the hustings in Sydney’s Revesby yesterday. Picture: Richard Dobson.

Gladys Berejiklian will embark on a last-minute advertising blitz ­attacking Michael Daley’s failure to disclose political donations when he was a councillor as the state election becomes a race for minority government depending on whether Labor can win six or nine seats.

With momentum said to be moving away from the Coalition in key marginals, the Liberal Party is about to unleash the television ­advertising from this weekend to the Wednesday night blackout, having saved the majority of its campaign spending for the last week of the campaign.

T he Weekend Australian has learned John Howard has filmed television ads for the NSW ­Coalition warning of the dangers of a Labor-Shooters party ­coalition in a hung parliament. But the Liberal Party has put the ads on ice because of the New Zealand mosque massacre, which has left at least 40 people dead.

Mr Howard mentions in the ad his role in national gun law ­reform after the Port Arthur massacre and warns of the dangers of giving the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers more power.

The “go negative” switch comes with the Coalition knowing it is in danger, with statewide polling at 50-50 and “tracking” marginal seat polling starting to head Labor’s way.

Ms Berejiklian, whose ­Coalition has 52 seats in the 93-seat Legislative Assembly, needs to limit her losses to six or seven seats to ensure she can get the support of independents to govern.

Labor believes it could win enough seats so that the support of one or two Shooters MPs will not be required. It already has three Greens pledging to guarantee confidence and supply and it would be hopeful of gaining the support of three independents if it can win enough seats — most likely nine. Labor requires 13 seats for a ­majority.

Labor is hopeful of winning Tweed, Lismore, Ballina, Coogee and East Hills.

The Nationals are in danger of losing Barwon to the Shooters.

Labor has hopes that in Coffs Harbour (Nationals ­margin 14.2 per cent) either Labor or an independent will claim the seat.

The opposition is also eyeing possible victories in Goulburn (6.6 per cent), Heathcote (7.6 per cent) and Penrith (6.2 per cent). Upper Hunter (2.2 per cent) is said to be on a knife’s edge, with Labor struggling to win without Shooters ­preferences.

The Liberals are also concerned about Finance Minister Victor Dominello’s seat of Ryde and Transport Minister Andrew Constance’s seat of Bega, although Mr Constance is said to have made a recovery in recent days.

A Liberal flying squad was sent to Heathcote to begin working on the ground to bolster the government’s chances.

Labor’s “schools and hospitals before stadiums” message appears to have hurt Ms Berejiklian, particularly in the bush, as has the footage of Allianz Stadium being pulled down just days before the election.

This week in Lismore, Ms Berejiklian attacked Labor and Shooters preference deals.

“Who in the community would think it’s OK to give 10-year-olds access to guns?” The Premier said.

“Who in the community would think it’s OK to bring semi-automatics into NSW.

“That’s not the state I want, that’s not the future I want for our kids and our families.

“We don’t want to see Australia turn into what America is.”

One source said the Liberals’ message in the final week would be that the government had ­delivered and was in the process of delivering more, and there were “massive risks” in changing course and electing a Labor government.

The Coalition believes one-third of voters remain undecided.