Chris Minns’ NSW election victory capitalized on the anger that was staring in Dominic Perrottet’s face
It was a promise that capitalized on the wrath of our time. A government focused on stagnating wages, rising prices and austerity.
Labor’s pledge to abolish the coalition’s public sector wage cap, in hindsight, helped achieve a party majority government.
The Alliance took a risk and underestimated it – and it helped Chris Ming win.
Liberals misunderstand the outrage that the cap has provoked in so many of the state’s essential workers after the stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was right outside their door and self-explanatory.
Labor disputes by teachers, nurses, paramedics and train drivers over the past 18 months have exposed frustration.
But the anger is not limited to public sector workers.
Prime Minister-elected Chris Minns came to power last night in the House of Commons with a narrow majority, a major shift in the key seats that end a 12-year coalition.
It won the election, but how Labor actually pays for its popular policies is another matter.
Voters went to the polls Saturday without knowing how much Labor’s plan to negotiate wages with each sector separately would cost.
But in a way it doesn’t matter.
The Congressional Budget Office has found that raising the current cap by 1% would cost $2.6 billion over three years.
Approximately 65% of the state’s 400,000 public sector workers are women, one-third of whom are under the age of 35.
“Well, it’s slowly being realized that this particular group, this group that is mostly female and has higher education, is by far the biggest supporter of the red side of politics,” he said. Former Labor Party strategist Kos Samaras told ABC’s NSW Votes report:
great deals
Public sector workers may have been bubbling with anger, but party leaders certainly weren’t.
After the 2022 scathing federal election campaign by two ideologically opposed leaders and the vicious Victorian election campaign, NSW was incomparably calm.
Perrottet and Minns even admitted to liking each other during the campaign.
In his concession speech, Perrotett said, “Elections can be ugly, but I truly believe that this election is a race to the top, a real battle of ideas, and when politics is at its best.” I believe.
A smart campaign? yes. bored? yes. effective? absolutely.
Mings played the ball, not the man, towards the vote.
Labor MP Penny Sharpe, who is likely to become environment minister in the new government, said the low-risk approach was the right one.
“There’s a sense of fatigue and weariness in the community over that very aggressive style of politics,” she said on ABC’s broadcast last night.
“I think people are really losing momentum after 10 consecutive increases in interest rates.
“Talk about issues they care about and give them a clear path. Some might say it was a modest plan. Some people may.”
Mings said neither party chose to back down.
“Two years ago we ran an election campaign and [for a] Don’t just vote against the government, vote for the New South Wales Labor Party. ”
Why liberals lost
They may have been on the right track, but the Liberals were certainly shying away from victory early in the count.
After 12 years in power, the Liberal Party has weakened in key Sydney seats, perhaps smelling of a change in the electorate, with successive resignations of current and former ministers.
Workers with more organized preselection strategies were ready to pounce.
Parramatta, East Hills and Ryde — all retired by MP — turned to losses.
Former minister Stuart Ayers lost his marginal seat in Penrith to Labor challenger Karen McKean.
Terrigal on the Central Coast fell to the Labor Party for the first time in history.
Camden’s first-term MP Peter Sidgreaves was defeated by Labor’s Sally Quinnell. Wallondilly next door was like a knife edge with a slight edge over Climate 200 backed independent contender Judy Hannan.
Further south, the repercussions of personnel changes, scandals and the Black Summer Fires have taken their toll, with South Coast and Monaro falling to labor.
Kiama — once liberal and now independent MP Gareth Ward awaiting indictment on sexual assault charges — was too close, but it was certainly a defeat for the liberals, and Ward and Labour. It was a competition between Kaitlyn McInerny, the challenger of the
With local Mayor Michael Regan taking over a seat on the beach north of Wakehurst for retired Minister Brad Hazard, it wasn’t in the interests of all workers. I was leading Dent.
Condemnation and celebration begin
At a time when all mainland government belongs to the Labor Party, the Liberal soul-search has already begun, not just in New South Wales.
“It’s not a great result. We’ve seen disastrous results in Western Australia. We’ve seen disastrous results in South Australia. We’ve seen similar results in Victoria, where the federal government’s results have been disappointing.” Former Liberal Party strategist Tony Barry said. For ABC’s coverage of his NSW Votes.
“in the meantime [the NSW] The Liberals have done better than other states…it’s hard to admit to having an ugly baby and the Liberals need to have that conversation.
“We can’t get elected like this. We need change.”
New South Wales is a moderate state, and the Liberals have largely elected their leaders that way. The right-wing Perrotet was the obvious exception, but he was inaugurated with the support of moderates.
Despite his muted outlook on ABC’s Election Commission, outgoing treasurer Matt Kean is clearly the frontrunner for the job. Ku-ring-gai MP and Trade Minister Alister Henskens are also being talked about as possibilities.
While the Liberals are raking the flames of defeat, a new start is beckoning for Labor.
Chris Minns has his own tough job of inheriting the state in the midst of a cost of living crisis with no clear path out of the recession.
Voters have made a difference — and they will expect it.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-26/analysis-nsw-election-liberal-recriminations-after-loss/102145576 Chris Minns’ NSW election victory capitalized on the anger that was staring in Dominic Perrottet’s face
