NSW elections: Muslim campaign trail protest
A woman used an appearance by Gladys Berejiklian to call out the response of politicians to the Christchurch massacre.
- Daley’s last-ditch stadium stand
- Premier caught in deals crossfire
- PM lashes Shorten over Daley
- No deal with shooters: Berejiklian
On the eve of the NSW election, with the polls deadlocked, Gladys Berejiklian and Michael Daley have begun their final pitch to voters. As debate continues over stadiums and party preferences, a Muslim woman used an appearance by the Premier to call out the response of politicians to the Christchurch massacre. Follow our live blog.
9.30pm: Leaders make their final pitches
The final day of the NSW election campaign ended with duelling accusations by both Liberal and Labor leaders that their opponent will water down gun laws if elected.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and opposition leader Michael Daley also hammered home, once more, their key pledges on infrastructure spending and stadiums.
Labor leader Michael Daley came under fire ahead of Saturday’s election for preferencing the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party in some lower house seats. Ms Berejiklian faced similar criticism on Friday because her junior coalition partner, the Nationals, are preferencing David Leyonhjelm’s Liberal Democrats in the upper house.
Both denied their relationships with the minor parties, which could be crucial in the event of a minority government, will impact gun legislation. Mr Leyonhjelm earlier this month suggested New Zealand-style gun laws be implemented in Australia.
His comments were made before last week’s Christchurch attack that saw 50 people gunned down by a terrorist wielding semi-automatic weapons.
Ms Berejiklian’s big sell in the campaign’s closing hours, as it was through the whole election, focused on infrastructure.
She contended it was her government’s “strong budget position” that was funding massive spends on hospitals, schools, roads and rail.
“That’s what good governments do,” she told Nine Network on Friday, adding they would lead to a “better quality of life” for future generations. “We know families always struggle with a work-life balance. That’s why we worked hard to give back literally hundreds of millions of dollars to the community.”
Mr Daley, speaking on the Ten Network on Friday night, pledged there would be “no deals” or “strings attached” if he was elected and urged voters to focus on the government’s attitude over the last eight years.
“People have been let down by a government that behaves like a corporation,” he said.
“They waltz into someone’s community, they announce what they’re going to do, they don’t listen.” He pointed to overdevelopment in Sydney’s west and, circling back to where his campaign began, the government’s controversial $2 billion stadium rebuild plan. “That stadium issue is emblematic of everything this government has done,” Mr Daley said.
“They flip-flopped three or four times on what they said they were doing to do with both stadiums, there’s the expense and the spin is just profligate and extravagant.”
He pledged to refurbish the stadiums without costing the taxpayers any money. But Mr Daley conceded it had been a “couple of rough days this week” after a video emerged of him warning supporters Asian migrants were taking jobs in NSW. He later unreservedly apologised for the comments, noting they were about housing affordability in Sydney.
Meanwhile, the state’s bookies say the coalition are “hot favourites” to win after a “remarkable turnaround”.
Last week both Labor and the coalition were neck-and-neck but, on the eve of voting, the odds shortened in the government’s favour to $1.30, Sportsbet said in a statement.
Labor is now $3.00 to take victory.
The betting agency says the Shooters are favourites to snatch the seat of Barwon from the Nationals, Labor are tipped to takethe Upper Hunter from the Nationals and the coalition is expected to take Ballina back from the Greens.
8pm: Daley comes full circle
It ended where it all began for NSW Labor leader Michael Daley.
On the final day of the election campaign, he was once again standing outside Sydney’s Allianz Stadium attacking the Berejikliangovernment’s spending on sporting venues.
Mr Daley on Friday rejected any suggestion he’d focused too heavily on the issue and insisted he was “very hopeful” abouthis chances on Saturday. The opposition leader has held six press conferences at Allianz Stadium in just over a fortnight.
He wants to refurbish the Moore Park venue rather than knock it down and rebuild it at a cost of $730 million.
Despite hard demolition works starting two weeks ago, Mr Daley insists it can still be salvaged.
“Only superficial damage has been done .... (there’s) no dead horse here, the horse is very much alive,” he told reporterson Friday.
“We’re going to give it a refurbishment at no cost to the taxpayer and it will shine like a new pin.”
- AAP
6pm: Premier under fire over preferences
Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s coalition is preferencing aparty whose leader advocated for Australia to adopt New Zealand-style gun laws before the Christchurch terror attack.
Ms Berejiklian, who has criticised Labor for their preference deal with the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party, said shesaw no contradiction in the Nationals preferencing the Liberal Democrats in the upper house. The premier said the Nationalspreferencing David Leyonhjelm’s party second in the legislative council wasn’t the same as Labor’s deal with the Shootersin some lower house seats because the Liberal Democrats couldn’t help determine the government.
“Well they have no chance of forming government, or being part of a government, that is a clear difference and please don’tcompare the two,” Ms Berejiklian told reporters on the eve of the state election.
Mr Leyonhjelm earlier this month suggested New Zealand-style gun laws be implemented in Australia.
“If Australia has gun laws like New Zealand, that would be a vast improvement on our current situation,” Mr Leyonhjelm toldAAP on March 5 before last week’s Christchurch attack that saw 50 people gunned down by a terrorist wielding semi- automaticweapons.
“At the moment, Australians wet their pants when you mention the word guns, it’s a cultural thing, they’re a bunch of scaredycats.” Ms Berejiklian referred some questions about the deal to the Nationals and wouldn’t speculate on whether she’d workwith the Liberal Democrats in the upper house if she were to win Saturday’s election.
Labor leader Michael Daley said the Nationals were swapping preferences with a party which held “some extreme views on shooting”.
“They (the Liberal Democrats) want people to be able to carry side-arms for protection,” the opposition leader told reporters.
“They want to be able to import and own semi-automatic military weapons. They don’t want long-arms to be registered.”
- AAP
4.45pm: Gun control promises ‘not good enough’
Pledges from NSW’s political leaders that gun laws won’t be weakened aren’t good enough,according to activist group Gun Control Australia.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian says she won’t allow gun laws to be watered down while Opposition Leader Michael Daley has promisedto quit the parliament if it passes legislation to weaken the existing regime.
Both leaders have been under fire ahead of Saturday’s election over preference deals with minor parties who would like tosee gun laws relaxed in NSW. “It (a pledge) is not enough,” GCA president Samantha Lee told AAP on Friday. “The main voicebeing heard at the moment is the gun lobby voice and that’s through preference deals. We’ve not yet had a seat at the table.” Labor is preferencing the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party in some lower house seats while the Nationals are preferencingthe Liberal Democrats in the upper house.
Ms Lee said Liberal Democrats leader David Leyonhjelm, who on March 5 suggested New Zealand-style gun laws be implementedin Australia, was “atrocious on gun control”.
“He is probably one of the scariest voices out there on gun control,” she said. History showed once the gun lobby had thebalance of power in any house, NSW governments “become susceptible to doing dirty deals”, Ms Lee concluded. Mr Leyonhjelmon Friday told AAP it was hard to take Gun Control Australia seriously “when it only represents one person in NSW and onein Tasmania”. “I’ve never misused firearms in my life and find it absurd that I’m labelled scary,” the party’s lead candidatesaid in a statement.
The proud sporting shooter said he supported keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people “via licensing”.
- AAP
Olivia Caisley 3.30pm: Muslim challenge to politicians
A woman has used an appearance by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian in Sydney’s west to call-out the response of politicians to the Christchurch massacre last week.
Sarah Smiles, 28, told reporters politicians had been using the voices of the Muslim community for their own benefit.
She held a black t-shirt, with the names of the 50 victims killed by a white supremacist last Friday.
“They pick and choose and they cut and paste,” Ms Smiles said. “If you want our votes. Represent us as a whole. We’re one community and we all want to be united.”
When asked if she thought there was a difference between the response of the Federal and State Liberal branches, she disagreed.
“They’re horrific across the board.”
The dramatic finish to Ms Berejiklian’s visit to Stockland Merrylands, a shopping centre in the marginal seat of Granville, capped off a jam-packed day where the Big Blue Bus visited the other marginal electorates of East Hills, Heathcote and Penrith.
Flanked by a sea of blue t-shirts and local Liberal candidate Tony Issa, Ms Berejiklian had received a mostly warm welcome as she wandered through the shopping precinct.
Brad Norington 1.25pm: Government ‘heavied’ PBO on stadium costs: Daley
NSW Opposition Leader Michael Daley has accused the Premier’s office of trying to interfere with an independent costing of one of Labor’s key policies just a day before the state election.
Mr Daley said today that the Parliamentary Budget Office had been “heavied” by the office of NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to change its costing of Labor’s alternative plans for redeveloping Sydney’s Allianz Stadium.
The government has already started demolition of the stadium under its plans for a full rebuild costing an estimated $729 million.
Labor has pledged to stop the demolition and order a less expensive refurbishment if elected tomorrow, forcing the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust to finance the project by taking out a loan that Mr Daley says would be at “zero” cost to taxpayers.
Mr Daley says a government he led would use the stadium savings, along with others from terminated Coalition infrastructure projects, to help fund Labor promises to better fund NSW public schools and hospitals, and build a MetroWest rail line.
Standing in front of Allianz Stadium, the Labor leader claimed the Premier’s office had “told the PBO to change their costing”.
“It is a pattern of behaviour that is not acceptable,” he said.
Mr Daley did not provide evidence to back his claim, but his office said the Labor leader understood the information to be correct based on reliable sources inside the government.
The Australian sought comment from Ms Berejiklian’s office on whether or not any directive was issued for the PBO to alter its costing estimates. A spokesman for the Premier said the government did not want to comment, and referred the issue to the PBO as an “independent entity”.
PBO chief Stephen Bartos said he had not seen Mr Daley’s comments, but the authority had not been put under any pressure.
“I’ve had questions put to us, as is normal,” Mr Bartos said.
“How people want to interpret things is up to them. I get questions but it’s water off a duck’s back.”
Mr Daley today also stood by his plan to require a newly constituted SCG Trust to borrow funds for the renovation of Allianz, insisting it would cost taxpayers “zero” and be a “win-win” for sports lovers.
He dismissed modelling by the SCG Trust, reported in The Australian today, that servicing a proposed loan would force up the cost of craft beers to $30, pies to $18 and bottled water to $15 for stadium patrons watching sports events.
“I don’t trust them, and that’s why I’m getting rid of the board,” he said.
Happy 100th birthday to Marianna and 105th to Albina. Thank you for inviting me to your wonderful celebration. 🎂🎂🎉🎉 pic.twitter.com/ANzs98F49w
— Gladys Berejiklian (@GladysB) March 22, 2019
Olivia Caisley 12.35pm: Former Green’s swipe at Greens
NSW Independent Jeremy Buckingham has urged voters to “send a message” to his former party, the NSW Greens at the polls tomorrow about their “drift away from environmentalism” and “toxic factionalism” within the party.
Mr Buckingham today appealed to voters, asking them to be “strategic” and vote for him, an Independent, in the Upper House.
The Former NSW Greens MP spectacularly “ripped up” his membership from the party in December after being asked to stand aside from the upper house ticket over allegations of sexual misconduct. He vehemently denies the allegations.
“I’m asking people who normally vote Greens to be strategic with their vote by voting for me in the Upper House to send a message to the NSW Greens,” Mr Buckingham said in a statement released today.
“If green-minded voters do not want the party being controlled by the extreme left communist faction and dominated by toxic factionalism, then they need to send that message at the ballot box.
“The Greens have recently abandoned important principles of justice and democracy, which is a massive shame because green politics is vital in this era of climate change.”
12.30pm: Stadium costings “solid”: PBO
Michael Daley has criticised the NSW government for questioning the independent costing of Labor’s plan to make the SCG Trust take out a loan to refurbish Allianz Stadium instead of using taxpayer money.
The parliamentary budget office on Monday said the policy would improve the state’s budget position by $685 million over four years.
It sought further advice on Thursday night, after concerns were raised about the costing figures.
“However … the PBO has not seen any compelling reason that would lead to a change of the costing,” the PBO said in a statement this morning.
“The PBO notes that any party can ask a question. The PBO examines any such questions carefully. Asking a question does not cancel a costing.” — AAP
Olivia Caisley 11.59am: Howard on the hustings
Former prime minister John Howard has joined NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on the hustings in the marginal seat of Penrith for the second time this campaign.
Mr Howard was given a warm welcome as he arrived at Nepean Valley RSL this morning, where its senior members were completing quizzes in the main hall.
“I’ve always been a tremendous fan of hers,” Mr Howard said of the Premier, describing her as “straightforward and authentic”.
While Mr Howard acknowledged the electorate was “mixed” in terms of political views, he assured the grey-haired seniors Ms Berejiklian was a “wonderful exponent” of what Australia was “all about.”
He said that while Ms Berejiklian couldn’t speak English when she first immigrated to Australia from Armenia as a child, she had worked hard to move to a position of great leadership.
He later joined Ms Berejiklian on the Big Blue Bus, expanding her cheer squad of supporters, which include her two sisters Mary and Rita, Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and local member Stuart Ayres.
It’s the Premier’s sixth trip this campaign to the seat, currently held by Mr Ayres, who is also the Minister for Sport.
Penrith and its surrounds were something of a happy hunting ground for Mr Howard in his political heyday, with Jackie Kelly taking the Federal seat of Lindsay in 1996.
At an impromptu press conference on the bus, Ms Berejiklian it was “always amazing” to be joined by someone many considered to the best prime minister the nation ever had.
“I’m absolutely one of those people,” she said. “It just reinforces the importance of strong and stable government.”
“I respect what Mr Howard has achieved and I hope to be able to do that over the next four years.”
Mr Howard told reporters he backed the “good, strong local member” Mr Ayres and also weighed in on Labor’s preference deal with the shooters, describing it as a “very, very bad idea.”
“Everyone knows how important strong gun laws are,” he said.
John Howard is now on the Big Blue Bus as a “supporting extraâ€, he joins the Berejiklian sisters, Rita and Mary. Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and Member for Penrith Stuart Ayres are also in tow. Next stop: lunch pic.twitter.com/p7JVm2TPSX
— Olivia Caisley (@livcaisley) March 22, 2019
Olivia Caisley 11.20am: “No formal arrangements” pro-gun Lib Democrats: Berejiklian
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has moved to squash claims the Nationals’ decision to preference the pro-gun Liberal Democrats was “hypocritical” given she told Michael Daley to “rip up” his deal with the Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party.
At a press conference in the marginal seat of Heathcote this morning, the Premier said there was a “big distinction” between the two, as her party had “no formal arrangements” with the pro-gun Liberal Democrats.
Ms Berejiklian said that while Labor was “aiding and abetting” a party with extreme views on guns in order to “cobble together” a minority, the Liberal Democrats didn’t have a shot of forming a minority government.
“The shooters will not only provide instability but they’ll be dangerous because they will advocate for weaker gun laws,” Ms Berejiklian said. “They have no chance of being part of our government, so please don’t compare the two.”
In the final press conference before polling day, NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet took aim at “one trick pony” Michael Daley and his decision to kick-off the final day on the campaign trail at Allianz Stadium.
“It’s not even a good trick,” Mr Perrottet said. “He’s bumbled and stumbled his way through the entire campaign. Where is his Shadow cabinet? They’ve been in witness protection the entire campaign.”
He said that unlike the Liberal party, Labor had shown “no positive vision” and presented a “clear and present danger” to the state’s finances.
When asked what Ms Berejiklian thought about the prospect of “making history” if she were to secure the title of being the first elected female premier in NSW, she was coy.
While the premier said she “couldn’t ignore” the significance of achieving the potential milestone, it was very much still a “hypothetical situation.”
10.30am: One million votes already cast
One in five voters in NSW have already cast their votes in the state election, with pre-poll centres and online voting proving popular.
The NSW Electoral Commission said almost 1,058,000 people had lodged their vote by today, the day before the election.
Most — nearly 824,000 — were cast at 194 early voting centres across the state, while 172,000 people voted online or via telephone and more than 11,000 at mobile booths in nursing homes, aged care facilities and hospitals. Close to 51,000 postal votes have also been received. More than 5.27 million people are enrolled to vote at the election — about 230,000 more than in 2015.
Richard Ferguson 10.10am: Call for Shorten to condemn Daley’s Asian comments
Scott Morrison has called on Bill Shorten and Federal Labor to condemn NSW Opposition Leader Michael Daley’s comments about Asians taking young Sydneysiders’ jobs.
“Why has Bill Shorten not dissociated himself with the comments of Michael Daley in NSW? On the Asians? Why not?” he told Melbourne’s 3AW radio.
“You’ll remember when John Howard many years ago was attacked for those things (Asian immigration) a long time ago. Labor had a lot to say about that.
“So where is Bill Shorten today? Tanya Plibersek, Anthony Albanese when it comes to the leader of the Labor Party in the NSW Parliament … who has said Asians are going to take people’s jobs.”
9.33am: Daley accuses government of bullying
Michael Daley has accused the NSW government of “bullying” the parliamentary budget office into re-examining its costing of Labor’s stadiums policy on the eve of the state election.
The PBO is reportedly seeking independent advice over the costing of Mr Daley’s plan to make the SCG Trust take out a loan to refurbish Allianz Stadium, AAP reports.
The state opposition claims it will come at no cost to taxpayers, compared to the coalition’s $730 million plan to knock down and rebuild the venue. In its election policy costing published on Monday, the PBO said the concessional loan will improve NSW’s budget position by $685 million over four years.
But the government has questioned whether the policy would harm Labor’s projected surplus, The Daily Telegraph reported on Friday.
Olivia Caisley 9.20am: Campaign sister act
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has added another member to her cheer squad on the Big Blue Bus, with sister Rita joining the final day on the campaign trail before voters head to the polls tomorrow.
The three Berejiklian sisters, including youngest sister Mary, who supported the premier yesterday, kicked off the day in the Coalition’s most marginal seat of East Hills.
The premier walked a group of Revesby South Public School students to the front gate and spruiked the Coalition’s $120 million before and after school care package.
The group of children said they loved the attention from the “paparazzi”.
Richard Ferguson 9am: No deal with Shooters: Berejiklian
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has ruled out any deals with the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party if she is forced into minority government after tomorrow’s election.
The Liberals have taken aim at the state Labor opposition for making preference deals with the Shooters in some rural seats, with the architect of Australia’s gun laws John Howard starring in an election advert attacking the deals.
The NSW Premier is facing a hung parliament as the polls remained deadlocked at 50-50 two party preferred. But Ms Berejiklian said she would not do deals with a party which would weaken gun laws.
“I will never, ever deal with the Shooters in government or rely on them to form government,” she told ABC News.
“I don’t want to see semi-automatics in New South Wales. I don’t want to see 10-year-olds have guns.
“I don’t want to see any watering down of our gun laws here in New South Wales and for that reason I will not enter into any deal with the Shooters.”
When asked if she was opened to dealing with independent MPs Alex Greenwich and Joe McGirr, the Premier said she was focused on winning a majority tomorrow but would not rule such arrangements out.
Opposition Leader Michael Daley has said repeatedly he would not water down gun laws.
8.50am: Last pitch to voters, last deals
As the last day of campaigning dawns ahead of tomorrow’s NSW elections, the polls point to a hung parliament, with the preference deals debate at the fore.
As Mr Daley continues to campaign on stadiums, a craft beer at his revamped Allianz Stadium would cost $30 and a bucket of chips $18 to help pay the loan that the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust would be required to service, according to modelling conducted by the trust.
Mr Daley is desperately trying to get Labor’s campaign back on track after a horror week.
On Thursday he attempted to downplay blunders during a televised leaders’ debate when he failed to recall how much funding his party had pledged for schools and TAFE.
Ms Berejiklian will today spend time in the marginal seats of East Hills and Penrith, in Sydney’s west, while Mr Daley will return to Allianz Stadium to continue his attack on the government’s redevelopment plan.
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