NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian swears she’s not worried about voters deserting Nationals
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian: insists her Coalition partner's massive loss of votes is nothing fret about. Photo: AAP
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is relieved the Nationals have hung on to two once-safe seats after the coalition partner emerged battered from Saturday’s by-elections.
Despite holding margins of more than 20 per cent in the regional seats of Cootamundra and Murray, the Nationals nervously saw the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party close in during Saturday’s poll.
Ms Berejiklian says she’s pleased and relieved with the results despite the huge swing.
“Absolutely relieved, whenever there’s a by-election there is a major, major swing against the government,” she told reporters on Sunday morning.
Ms Berejiklian insisted Labor had no right to “chest beat” after equally poor showings in the regional seats.
But Labor stormed to victory in the third by-election in Blacktown, registering more than 70 per cent of the vote in the western Sydney seat.
Labor leader Luke Foley said he took great pleasure from the result.
“A big message was sent to Ms Berejiklian’s government by the people of western Sydney yesterday,” he said on Sunday.
He said regional voters were turning their back on the Coalition.
“The government has to change direction, listen to the people”.
Looking past the massive swing against his party, NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro celebrated victory in the seat of Cootamundra on Saturday night, declaring it was evidence of the party’s worth in regional NSW.
“Look, there are lessons for the government and lessons for us,” Mr Barilaro said on Saturday night as the returns were tallied.
“There’s been a significant swing, so we have to accept that.
“But we don’t claim to be a perfect government and in our imperfection we strive to do better and that’s our job.”
ABC election analyst Antony Green has declared the National party the winners in both seats.
The biggest threat to the Nationals came from the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party.
The by-elections were brought on by the resignations of former Nationals ministers Adrian Piccoli and Katrina Hodgkinson, and former Labor leader John Robertson.
-AAP