NEWS THAT MATTERS
Olympus has fallen:
a red tide of change
Not even the Liberals Lone Ranger, Adam Crouch, could stem the red tide that surged across the Central Coast last Saturday. The previous safe seat of Terrigal was part of a Tsunami of change, suffering a swing against the incumbent of at least 12 per cent, as the state Liberals drowned in a puerile sea of arrogance, which saw Labor win the 2023 election. “A fabulous victory for Labor,” said re-elected incumbent for Gosford, Liesl Tesch.
Re-elected Labor MPs (L-R): Liesl Tesch, David Harris, Yasmin Catley and David Mehan.
30 March 2023
ALAN HAYES
IN THE AFTERMATH of a dismal election night last Saturday, Liberal pundits are licking their wounds from a bruising election loss as they sort through the entrails of a campaign that finished with voters kicking the Coalition out of office after 12 years in power.
"NSW was not into what the LNP were selling" as one GEN Z voter so adamantly put it, “If you think 2023 is bad, 2027 is going to really blindside them.”
Yet nothing more highlighted the LNP’s “born to rule” attitude than their apparent anger of previously held seats falling like dominos to an independent, more so when they lose to Labor. It is not in their DNA to lose to who they believe to be no more than political “upstarts”.
It took only four hours from polls closing for former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet to deliver a concession speech, congratulating NSW Labor and Premier-elect Chris Minns on their win. But it was clear in the leadup to voting day that the people of NSW wanted change, leaving the Coalition with the worst election result since the 1995 NSW election and wiping out their one last remaining stronghold on the mainland – only Tasmania still carries the Liberal brand – and the party Australia-wide on the opposition benches.
“The people of New South Wales voted to put in a government that put people at the heart of all decision-making, and we will not let them down,” Minns told supporters on Saturday night after he received a congratulatory call from Perrottet.
Minns thanked Perrottet for his service and said that the “respect and civility” in this campaign was a model for the way democracy can be “done right” across the country.
Re-elected Member for Gosford, David Harris said the weekend election results demonstrated a strong swing to Labor across the whole Central Coast.
“It has justified Labor’s strong policies on lifting wages and recruiting more front line staff in teaching and health,” Mr Harris said.
“The Central Coast Labor team is now up for the challenge of delivering on our election promises. The size of the task cannot be underestimated given the poor state of the NSW Budget and tough economic times in general.
“In the coming weeks we will be sitting down with stakeholders and government departments to be fully briefed on the Central Coast situation given how we were largely locked out of the machinery of Government for the past 12 years.
“Labor MP’s represent the majority of residents on the Central Coast and we want to make sure there is equitable distribution of funding and services.”
David Harris celebrates his election victory.
ALP National President Wayne Swan said, “The people of NSW have emphatically endorsed Chris Minns and NSW Labor’s plan for a fresh start. There was a clear choice at this election: better services under Labor or more sell-offs under the Liberals.
“This result sends a clear message that voters have had enough of Liberal governments that are out of touch with their lives.
“It also shows that the community are looking for leadership whose first instinct is always to bring people together.
“The swing was everywhere in New South Wales – there was nowhere for the Coalition to hide. The city, the suburbs, the coast and the regions all turned against the Coalition. The consistency of the swing demonstrates this.”
It’s the third time since World War II that NSW Labor has managed to go from opposition to government, and the victory comes after 12 years in opposition. And on the Central Coast Labor’s Sam Boughton has turned the usually safe Blue Ribbon Liberal seat red.
The swing against Terrigal's sitting member Adam Crouch, after preferences, has been phenomenal and is something that is usually unthinkable in a seat that has never previously been held by another party - but Liberal hubris has been their downfall across the state.
Sam Boughton and his team have pulled off a remarkable campaign – one that even insiders did not anticipate.
“I could never have envisaged that happening,” Boughton said.
“I’m quite shocked.”
The seat has only ever been in Liberal hands, but the 31-year-old physiotherapist is neck-and-neck to claim it from incumbent Adam Crouch at time of publication.
If Boughton successfully crosses the line, for the first time ever, the five seats of the Central Coast — Gosford, The Entrance, Wyong, Swansea and Terrigal — will all be held by Labor.
Re-elected Labor Member for Swansea, Yasmin Catley said, "I am humbled at the faith the people of the Coast have shown in electing a Labor Government.
"We have a strong bloc of Labor MPs on the Coast who are committed to deliver for our region, and will use this opportunity to do exactly that.
"It is clear the voters of the Coast unequivocally rejected the Liberals agenda of privatisation, sending jobs offshore and running down our health and education systems.
"Labor will get on with the job of ending the privatisation of public assets, rebuilding our manufacturing industry, and addressing the crisis in our hospitals and schools."
Liesl Tesch, re-elected Member for Gosford said that the NSW Election results clearly demonstrates that our community want a fair share on wages, and to see our health workers and teachers respected so they can support our community.
“The community want to see improvements in the cost of living, prioritised housing affordability and the end to privatisation,” she said,
“The NSW Labor Government understands the challenges and responsibilities that lay ahead and we’re excited about the opportunity to invest on the Coast and make our communities a better place to live, work and raise a family.
“The Gosford Town Centre University and the development of the Gosford waterfront are two key items for the years ahead. The people of the Gosford electorate have made it very clear they are tired of the glossy brochures and want to see real investment and positive change in the city of Gosford.
“I would like to thank the people of Gosford for their ongoing support and I look forward to the absolute privilege of representing our community in the NSW Parliament for another 4 years!”
David Mehan and his parents on election night.
David Mehan, who retained the seat of The Entrance, said that whilst counting had not yet finished, it's clear that the Central Coast and The Entrance electorate voted overwhelmingly for a Labor Government.
“After 12 years under the Liberals and Nationals, our community voted to invest in our essential services and support the nurses, teachers, and paramedics who keep them running. They voted for better schools and hospitals, and to end privatisation,” Mr Mehan said.
“I'm humbled by the extent of the support I received from The Entrance electorate and acknowledge there are still many in our community who did not vote for Labor.
“Thank you to the community for its support and I pledge to do all I can to continue to represent your interests in the NSW parliament.”
And what about the fate of the Liberals?
The biggest surprise came from the jovial deputy Liberal leader Mr Kean, the leader of the dominant moderate faction, who announced last Sunday he had decided against standing for the leadership, saying he has a young family and wants to spend more time with them.
Kean also revealed that he had decided against a return to the top rungs of the parliamentary team.
Dominic Perrottet resigned from the Liberal Party leadership in his concession speech on Saturday night after the Coalition’s crushing defeat.
.jpg?crc=4257584689)
_web.jpg?crc=282450513)
SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE to the Grapevine News Online and to the monthly e-book edition of the Grapevine Community Weekly. Our online news platform and monthly newspaper is about real local news and events. We will not spam you or share your details with third parties.
