NSW election 2023: Chris Minns claims victory in front of Labor party supporters in Sydney. Follow live results and updates. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP
NSW election 2023: Chris Minns claims victory in front of Labor party supporters in Sydney. Follow live results and updates. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP
Labor leader Chris Minns will be New South Wales’ next premier, delivering a victory speech to a jubilant crowd of Labor supporters at the party’s election nigh function in Sydney where he was welcomed by prime minister Anthony Albanese.
While that’s the headline, the count is not yet done. Here’s a summary of what we know just before midnight:
Labor are on track to form a majority government, with results in a few key seats still unclear late on Saturday as counting ended for the night. Various vote counts have Labor hovering at the 47 seats needed for majority government.
Dominic Perrottet will stand down as New South Wales Liberal leader, he announced in a concession speech in which he said he feels a “profound sense of gratitude” to have led the state. Former treasurer Matt Kean, when asked if he was interested in the leadership, said it was too early to say.
Both Perrottet and Minns heaped praise on each other for waging a fair campaign.
The Coalition have lost a slew of seats, including many once considered safe Liberal seats. Wakehurst, held by retiring health minister Brad Hazzard, has been won by independent Michael Regan. Liberal MP Stuart Ayres appears to have lost his seat of Penrith to Labor, as many other Liberal-held western Sydney seats fell to Labor.
The outcome in several key seats is still unclear. Willoughby is on a knife-edge, with independent challenger Larissa Penn ever so slightly leading Liberal MP Tim James. Independent challenger in Wollondilly Judy Hannan is also the (slight) favourite over Liberal MP Nathaniel Smith.
‘Back and ready’: Chris Minns leads Labor to power after 12 years in opposition at historic 2023 NSW election
Labor is on track to form majority government in New South Wales after 12 years in opposition, with the party leader, 43-year-old former firefighter and political staffer Chris Minns, declaring the party is “back and ready to govern in this great state”.
As counting ended on Saturday night, Labor had picked up at least nine seats, enough to govern in majority and a better-than-expected result for the party after big swings in many previously safe Coalition seats.
The result means Minns will become the first Labor leader to win government from opposition in NSW for almost three decades and sees the Coalition relegated to the opposition benches in every parliament on mainland Australia.
Northern beaches seat of Wakehurst falls to independent, but Liberals hold on in Manly and Lane Cove
The independent mayor of Northern Beaches council, Michael Regan, has romped to victory in the New South Wales state seat of Wakehurst, snatching the previously blue-ribbon Liberal seat held by the retiring health minister, Brad Hazzard, with a 27.5% swing.
Regan won with a decisive 56% of the two-party preferred vote, ending decades of Liberal dominance in the region.
The win means that independents now represent the northern beaches at federal, state and local level.
The strong showing by independents on the northern beaches will raise questions for the Liberal party, which selected candidates late and chose men who had worked for the party.
Read more on how independents fared this election:
A number of seats that various TV networks were eager to call early now appear far less certain, as the count broadly progresses to 50%-60% of the vote.
The ABC is now projecting Labor to win Holsworthy by just 0.6%.
Labor is now projected to win Kiama by 1.8% – held by ex-Liberal turned independent Gareth Ward.
In Wollondilly, the ABC is projecting independent Judy Hannan will win by a margin of 0.7%.
Independent Larissa Penn’s projected lead in Willoughby has also shrunk. The ABC are projecting her as 0.2% ahead of Liberal Tim James.
Minns says Labor win ‘a vote against privatisation’
Premier elect Chris Minns has said Labor’s victory in the New South Wales election was at least in part fought over privatisation.
It’s undeniably the case that today’s election was also a decisive vote against privatisation. To retain Sydney Water and Essential Energy in New South Wales Government.
In the final weeks of the campaign, Labor ramped up its messaging about the Coalition’s history of and plans for privatisation of state assets.
Minns also thanks various Labor party figures and advisers, as well as the union movement – which drew a noticeable round of applause from the crowd of supporters.
Minns ends by thanking his family.
After 12 years in opposition, I want to say to the people who voted for Labor or voted for the Liberals and Nationals or voted for independents or minor party candidates today. We’ve been elected by the people of this state but we will govern for everyone in NSW.
We know that the challenges are huge. We know the responsibilities are awesome, but NSW Labor is back and ready to govern in this great state. Thank you.
“Friends after 12 years in opposition the people of New South Wales have voted for a fresh start,” he says, thanking the Labor party faithful in the crowd.
Minns thanks volunteers who helped his campaign to retain his own seat of Kogarah, which was a concern going into the election.
I thought it was going to be close but in the end we got there.
Minns then thanks outgoing premier, Dominic Perrottet, for his service to NSW.
I would like to say thank you to the premier for his service on behalf of the people of NSW.
He echoes Perrottet’s reflection of the NSW campaign.
It’s undeniably the case that this election campaign perhaps uniquely was a model of respect and civility and neither party took the low road. Neither political party took the low blow. And I think it can be a model for the way democracy is done right across this country.
Now, I can’t say that every election campaign in the future will be conducted the same way. But from now on, no one will be able to say that it can’t be.
NSW Labor leader Chris Minns addressing Labor supporters in his victory speech. Photograph: ABC TV
Minns walks to stage amid cheers of ‘Labor! Labor!’
Premier-elect Chris Minns, walking with his wife and three sons, is making his way through a crowd of elated supporters at Labor’s election night function, as he takes to the stage to claim victory in the New South Wales election.
Those in the crowd are chanting “Labor, Labor”.
As he walks onto the stage, Anthony Albanese takes Minns’ hand and lifts it in the air.
Anthony Albanese has taken the stage at Labor’s election night function to welcome on Chris Minns.
The crowd applauded the prime minister as he walked onto the stage, but he said “tonight is someone else’s night”.
“Friends tonight the people of New South Wales have come together to choose a better future.”
“I have had the very good fortune of knowing Chris for many, many years And what I know, without doubt, is that he embodies all that is best about the Australian Labor party.”
Prime minister Anthony Albanese addresses party faithful at a NSW Labor reception. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP
Just unpacking a bit more of Dominic Perrottet’s speech:
He said Liberal MP Stuart Ayres “can hold his head very high”, as the Penrith MP stares down a loss to Labor. The ABC is projecting he will lose the seat, but when speaking to Sky News earlier, Ayres was yet to concede.
During Perrottet’s concession speech a few minutes ago, the outgoing premier said:
It doesn’t appear that Stuart (Ayres) will have the result that he wanted, or that I wanted this evening in Penrith. But Stuart can hold his head very high. He’s served his community of Penrith incredibly well and he served our state with distinction.
