Coalition counting on a two-seat majority

Premier Gladys Berejiklian remains one seat short of retaining power in her own right but is eyeing a majority of two seats.

Liberal Premier Gladys Berejiklian speaking at a press conference after winning the NSW State Election. Picture: Jane Dempster

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian remains one seat short of retaining power in her own right but is eyeing a majority of two seats, according to the latest count.

With 73 per cent of lower house votes counted last night, the ­Coalition had 46 seats — 34 for the Liberals and 12 for the Nationals — one seat away from retaining the right to govern as a majority.

Three seats remained in doubt — Dubbo in central NSW, East Hills in Sydney’s southwest and Lismore in the northeast of the state.

The Nationals stronghold of Dubbo, previously held on a margin of 20.4 per cent, suffered a drastic swing of 20.1 per cent.

Dugald Saunders, who is ­replacing retiring Nationals MP Troy Grant, held a narrow lead in the vote count last night with 50.3 per cent going his way after preferences.

His challenger, independent Mathew Dickerson, said it was “humbling” to see more than 10,000 people choose him as their first preference regardless of final results.

His goal had been to receive 30 per cent of the primary vote and yesterday afternoon he was at 29.6 per cent.

In Lismore, where 80 per cent of votes had been counted last night, Labor’s Janelle Saffin was ahead of Nationals candidate Austin Curtin by a fraction.

The seat was previously held by the ­Nationals with a margin of 0.2 per cent and as of last night the swing was 3.2 per cent in favour of the ALP.

The state’s most marginal seat of East Hills, which had previously been held by the Liberals on a margin of 0.4 per cent, was also too close to call after 75 per cent of votes had been counted.

After preferences were distributed, Liberal incumbent Wendy Lindsay was ahead with 52 per cent of the two-party-preferred vote count against Labor’s Cameron Murphy.

The numbers were too close to call in a number of electorates, but the Liberal Party appeared to have held on to all its seats except one, the Sydney beachside seat of ­Coogee.

The Liberals managed to retain Goulburn, Heathcote and Penrith despite initial concerns and also held Wollondilly despite a significant swing against them of 11.7 per cent. It was the Nationals’ vote that significantly jeopardised the government’s majority with the party suffering huge swings across the state.

Three seats had changed hands as of last night, two of which were previously held by the Nationals on strong margins.

The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party took control of the entire western border region, taking Barwon and Murray from the Nationals after capitalising on what was described by their candidate for Barwon, Roy Butler, as “regional neglect”.

Barwon, which makes up 44 per cent of the state’s land mass and has been held by the Nationals for almost 70 years, was won by the SFF thanks to a 21.6 per cent swing.

The Shooters also took the seat of Murray thanks to a 27.6 per cent swing away from the Nationals, with their candidate Helen Dalton joining the parliamentary crossbench on her third attempt.

Coogee in Sydney’s eastern suburbs was conceded by the Liberals to the ALP, with Labor candidate Majorie O’Neill benefiting from a 4.6 per cent swing.

The seat tally going into the election was: Coalition 52 (Liberal 36 and Nationals 16), Labor 34, Greens three, independent three and the Shooters one.