7.51pm. The NSWEC has all but a few booths in from Port Macquarie, and you can now clearly call it for Peter Besseling, who leads the Nationals candidate 36.8 per cent to 31.9 per cent. Elsewhere it’s clear the results are as expected: a big win for the Liberals in Ryde, and narrower wins for Labor in Cabramatta and Lakemba following swings of over 20 per cent.
7.30pm. With 22.4 per cent counted, Besseling 37.6 per cent and Nationals 31.9 per cent, so Besseling home and hosed unless these are very good Nationals booths outstanding.
7.26pm. Labor’s lead now up to 5.7 per cent in Cabramatta according to the ABC. Still no actual prefernece counts in yet.
7.24pm. Seven booths out of 21 counted on the primary vote in Ryde, and that Taverner poll is looking good: Liberal on 62 per cent of the two-party vote.
7.23pm. ABC computer has Besseling leading by 1.2 per cent in Port Macquarie, but with no notional preference counts in yet this is based on assumptions about preferences.
7.21pm. The ABC computer is now up to speed on the Cabramatta count: Labor is facing a 24 per cent swing, but that leaves them with 5 per cent to spare.
7.14pm. No real trouble for Labor in Lakemba, with 59.2 per cent after a third of the booths counted.
7.11pm. NSWEC has eight booths counted in Cabramatta, Labor leading 48.0 per cent to 40.4 per cent, so Nick Lalich is not actually in trouble. Liberals on 54.9 per cent in Ryde with over a third of the booths counted, so an obvious win for them there.
7.08pm. Comments tells me Cabramatta “tightening”, but ABC computer still only has one booth. NSWEC website most unwieldy (PDFs? Come on …).
7.00pm. Nine booths in and 6 per cent counted in Port Macquarie, and looking ominous for the Nationals, who trail Besseling 35.0 per cent to 32.9 per cent on the primary vote. Still nothing from Ryde.
6.55pm. Labor looking at an ugly swing in Cabramatta of over 20 per cent, but not enough to cost them the seat.
6.50pm. Commenter Oakeshott Country, who knows his Port Macquarie onions backwards, says the three small booths in so far suggest a very close result between the Nationals candidate Leslie Williams and independent Peter Besseling.
6.42pm. Riverwood booth in from Lakemba. Labor vote on 55.3 per cent, which suggests a 20 per cent drop.
6.20pm. Booths closed 20 minutes ago. First results should be in shortly.
206 Comments
According to Channel 9 News: Labor is very worried about Cabramatta!
there’s a surprise!
One small booth in Lakemba ALP -55%
That’s not Oakeshott country!
3 very small booths in PM (including Lord Howe Is) Nationals 37%, Beesling 30% – as these should be rock solid nationals, it may be a close result after all
those three booths total 67% who is polling the other 33%
Certainly hoping that exhaustion rates are less than 60%… well, I hope our electorate is intelligent enough.
Probably the other 10 independants and The Greens?
Thanks Oz, I wasn’t aware that there were 13 candidates.
Any other election, this’d be a stupid question, but this one, I wonder. Is that a dash and a primary vote, or a minus sign on a swing?
Meanwhile, OC – you may have to start calling yourself Beesling Country if it continues like that for him.
They include John’s River, the guy who owns the petrol station there is standing as an independent. He got 10% – he is unlikely to repeat that anywhere else – would these voters gone for Beesling or the Nats, if the local boy wasn’t standing?
Haha the petrol station guy is running? Legend.
I was surprised Jimbo, my barber, eventually decided not to run as a “true independent”
is there anyone in PM NOT running?
First Cabra booth in… looks 55% ALP – 45% LIB
Zombie Mao ask who isn’t running!
I believe that might be the ALP.
4 big booths in Cabramatta ALP 47%, Lib 41% 5500 counted
What’s the record for the most amount of candidates?
24% swing! a nice big kick but I suspect the ALP will hold Cabramatta
True, Mexicanbeemer but their candidate is running as an independant. =P
Don’t forget the Liberals mexicanbeemer (although they are supporting Beesling)
It is bigger 2PP Mexicanbeemer
I remember a few years ago at a general state election that something like 13 people ran in the seat of Richmond.
I was going to ask Oz if the local ALP had a preferred candidate in Port Macquarrie
9 booths in (2700) votes in PM Beesling 35% Nats 33%
Mexicanbeemer – I think anyone except the National – the answer is no
re: Bird of paradox @#10
The small booth in Lakemba is a new booth for this by-election. It is the Electoral Commission’s data entry centre in Riverwood.
I expect a very low turnout in Lakemba. When I voted early this afternoon, there wasn’t even a queue to vote.
None of the big PM booths are in. I think they would favour Beesling
Go Besseling.
Cabramatta seems to be tightening
Oh and 55% of First Preferences to the Liberals after 7 booths in Ryde.
They didn’t win any of them at the State Election, and pretty much uniformly.
The Wills by-election of 1991, with 22 candidates, holds the federal record.
Frankston East 1999 special election had 16 candidates
Go Besseling – if he’s ahead with only a handful of smaller booths in, he’ll do even better when the big Port booths come in soon.
Ok, Cabramatta retained by the ALP. They have held up their vote in some larger booths.
18 booths in in PM (10000) votes Beeseling 37%, Nats 32%. I think he is going to win – the Nats are not going to be preferenced over him. Can we now say the national party is finished on the North Coast?
I hope so, OC.
11% swing to The Greens in Lakemba, better than the swing to the Libs.
Hahahahaha! We own Ryde now!!!!
RYDE- LIB GAIN!!!
So could I asay its a safe bet that the Liberals have won Ryde, the ALP have won Lakemba and Cabramtta and Port Macquarrie is looking like an Indepent held seat, if that is correct then how many seats do the ALP need to lose to lose marjority Government status.
A 11% swing to the Greens in an area that I wouldn’t call Green friendly would be seen as a good result.
Mexicanbeemer – Antony Green appears to agree with you.
Also, 15 seats I think.
Labor will now hold 51 seats out of 93, so need to lose 5 to lose their majority.
Honest John,
I guess you would be happy if the government now cancelled the Epping to Chatswood railway. After all, the Libs tried to stop it being built and all the new stations are in Ryde!
I can’t imagine any huge events changing between now and the next election… but who knows?
Yeah, that would be smart… Cancel a $2bn project that is almost completed.
I’m sure the whole of NSW would be pleased with such good management.
Agreed, Mexican, almost 15% at this stage, probably looking at something slightly lower than that by the end of the night, is a great result for the Greens in Lakemba.
How many National ministers in NSW after O’Farrell’s coming triumph? After this performance the Liberal balance in the Colaition will markedly increase. As for Labor do they have it in them to get down fighting and try to win back some ground?
People who place their faith in by-election swings are usually disappointed.
*5. Dunno where the 1 sneaked into.
I agree with Anthony!! Liberals need to refrain from thinking they have the next election in the bag.
Bi-elections are an opportunity to vote knowing it is sending a message to the Government or Opposition.
For a start both Lakemba and Cabramatta will return to 20% plus margins
Not 15 seats – before this lot (ie: 2007 election), ALP had 52 out of 93 seats (Lib/Nat 35 and Ind 6) – majority is 47. If Port Mac stays independent and Lakemba and Cabramatta stay Labor, it’s only Ryde that’s changing, so it’s now 51/36/6. They’d need to lose another 5 seats to lose majority. That’d be interesting if that happened, considering one of the independents is the Speaker…
Besseling’s homeeeee.
Preference votes are in for 5000 votes in PM Beeseling 55% nats 45% exhausted about 14%. PM people aren’t as easily fooled as some people think
Could Adam or someelse list the five most marginal ALP seats just to provide us with an Indication of location.
Rural areas have a long history of electing Independents and while the Nationals will be disappointed nothing changes.
Five most marginal (from top of my head)
Menai, Miranda, Camden, Wollondilly, something else
Sucked in Nationals. I am really happy with that result. If you couldn’t already tell.
What’s this losing 5 seats in the future? It won’t happen.
Not until the election anyway.
Thanks Magpiepete! all outer suburban seats.
The Entrance;
So 2 in the Sutherland Shire, 2 in the Macarthur and one on the Central Coast
Magpiepete,
My comment was tongue in cheek.
It does have a precedent though. In 1988, the newly elected Greiner Government cancelled the Maldon to Port Kembla railway. At that time the project was 60% complete. I’ve heard that the cost of paying out the contractors was more than it would have cost to complete the railway.
BTW the Chief of Staff to Transport Minister at that time is the same bloke who lead the campaign against building the Epping to Chatwood Railway.
Besseling’s like… won… and I’d love to see what his final margin turns out to be when the Port booths’ 2CP comes in.
Here’s the ones I can find under 5% for Labor…
Wollondilly 3.3%
Balmain 3.7% vs Greens
Gosford 4.9%
Camden 3.9%
Menai 2.7%
Miranda 0.8%
Maitland 2.0% vs Ind
I suppose you could add Cabramatta to that list now, although if it hasn’t gone Liberal now it certainly won’t in 2011. At least, not if Bass Hill / Rockdale are any guide.
Other seats in the same ball park as Ryde (or less) against the Liberals:
Western Sydney: Mulgoa, Londonderry, Riverstone, Penrith
Central Coast: Gosford, Wyong
Hunter: Charlestown; Swansea
Sutherland: Heathcote
Inner-Sydney Seats: Coogee, Drummoyne, Rockdale
There is also Monaro but historically this is a ALP-NAT contest.
Thanks Bird of Paradox.
So from that list the ALP still have some safety in its margins keeping in mind marginal seats tend to be closer due to be the centre of the campaign.
Wollondilly 3.3%
Balmain 3.7% vs Greens
Gosford 4.9%
Camden 3.9%
Menai 2.7%
Miranda 0.8%
Maitland 2.0% vs Ind
I would Imagine the Greens are a real chance in Balmain, and the outer suburban seats would be a worry for the ALP and this will be highten if the Economy tanks and the cost of living continues to increase.
mexicanbeemer,
In NSW the Sydney metropolitan area has also elected quite a few independents over the last few decades.
For example,
Clover Moore – Bligh/Sydney since 1988
North Shore – Ted Mack defeated Lib leader at 1981 election and held resigned in the early 1990s. He was then elected Federal MP for North Sydney
The seat of Manly has been won by independents at 4 of the last 5 elections.
I can see Western Sydney handing the Liberals government at the next election. With regards to Riverstone and Londonderry, I have some knowledge as I live in the Hawkebury. If this ill-will towards Labor continues to 2011 I can see Londonderry going. The only thing that might save Riverstone is the high profile of its sitting member.
So not much change really after all the hooplah Labor lose 1, Coalition lose 1, Indepentant gain 1
So much for the Telegraph’s hysterical forcast of 30% swings and Labor losing Cabramatta (still got about 15% margain)
I mean to say you couldn’t get a govt more on the nose and more critisised by the media and yet O’Farrell’s opposition still manages to lose a seat LOL
That’s made my night and I won $80 on the horses today!
Veras! Port Macquarrie was already an Independent seat therefore it isn’t a gain.
It’s still a bad result for the Nats, since Besseling didn’t have the advantage of incumbency that Oakeshott had.
mexian opps sorry.getting my state and feds mixed up
Terrible Nats result. They should flee to WA and chill out with Grylls.
The Nationals are only on 31% that makes the result worst for if they polled mid forties and fell short you could argue that the Indpendent won on Preferences but too only poll 31% regardless of the number of candidates is a poor result.
Even the ALP have outperformed that level of support in Sydney and they are said too be on the nose
Greens down to 12.7% in Lakemba. It will probably get down to 10% by the end of the night.
12.7% in an unfriendly Green area is still a good result for them!
a WHOPPING 24% swing to the Liberal Party in Ryde!!!
Honest John! It is a Bi-Election in a seat that I class as a Liberal seat
The ALP should go round to every Nats held seat (fed and state) and find a strong local personality to run as an independent.
24% must be some kind of record.
Bye bye Labor!
Grog! That may hurt the Nationals in Northern NSW but I’m not sure if that will hurt the Nationals in Victoria for Peter Ryan is doing a very good job.
Yes A-C… a pity the electors couldn’t have made their minds up to do so a year and a half ago!
Grog dear boi what makes you think they don’t do that already?
Well Besseling definitely had no public or private Labor support. In fact the only support he got from any political party was the Liberals. Both the local branch and MP’s.
Oz 84: Alby Schultz, apparently. I wonder where his future lies… haven’t heard anything out of him for a while.
itep,
The electors DID make their minds up a year and half ago. It’s a pity you don’t want to accept that decision!
A-C and Itep
It ain’t over until the Fat Barrel sings…
I was at a booth this arvo with Brad Hazzard. Useless and ineffectual. The Lib booth workers were openly sniggering.
And as for their thought on the current upper house leadershit errr… ship – well I was blushing.
I preferenced Labor above Liberal in that election. Whilst I have no particular issues with the NSW Government the stench of death coming from them is unavoidable. In many ways it seems better to just get it over and done with sooner rather than later, and it seems silly that all of these people are suddenly changing their votes now when nothing has really changed. Rees is no worse than Iemma (yet), the Liberals have no substantially different policy positions than they did last year.
If they were that dissatisfied with Labor (and polls indicated they were) they should’ve sucked it up and booted them out last year.
If I had known you were blogging the results I wouldn’t have bothered doing live results on my blog. Everyone who is interested will be here lol
The biggest thing stopping the Libs taking Government in NSW so far, is that their current members haven’t always done well campaigning outside their own seat.
Seems that what appeals to preselectors and voters in some electorates is electoral poison in marginal seats. The Howard Government was successful in New South Wales because they played to the marginals, rather than the safe seats.
Itep,
Yeah, you’ve got to marvel at the stupidity of voters in retaining this absolute shambles of a government and voting to kick Howard out instead. Now they’re forced to live with this rabble for another 2.5 years.
So the good news for the ALP tonight is that they still hold Cabramatta and Lakemba albeit with substantially reduced majorities.
With that being the good news, I can understand why people are so excited that the National Party can’t win seats.
A-C,
Look on the bright side. Even though we are forced to live with the rabble for another 2.5 years. The rabble is in opposition and can’t cause too much damage!
Well I’m certainly not going to argue in support of the Howard Government. But I think cases can always be made for the ‘refreshment’ of parties that are in power for too long. Let’s just say even half of a 20% swing would result in quite a bit of refreshing in 2011.
Barry O’Farrell isn’t too repugnant either, but you’d imagine it’d be a good opportunity for the Liberals to actually start selling themselves now, rather than risk people looking at them in 3 years time and thinking there’s not much there to vote for.
Hopefully the Rees Government will see the writing on the wall and set out to make some changes that, whilst unpopular overall, will be good for the State. Maybe then there’d be a few more positives to look back on.
Itep
Nothing wrong with Bazza but some of his mates bear having a little light of day cast upon their activities…
Ah democracy at it’s finest… being forced to decide which party is the least repugnant!
A-C, the Liberal Party’s contempt for the voters is duly noted.
In Ryde most of the Lib pick up seems to come from their lickspittle running dogs who have persuaded not to show their faces this time: Petch, the God Botherers and people of Asian origin who want to get brownie points from the Liberals, Unity.
“Our” ABC Talking up the Libs in the By-Election result.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/18/2394895.htm
barry99 (62)
If the aborted Maldon/ Port Kembla railway was 60% completed when Greiner pulled the plug, was it ever used and if so is it still in use today?
99 FC – it’s pretty hard to spin this anyway that looks great for the ALP. Ok the Nats had another fail; but the ALP got smacked. Have to take it on the chin.
AC (91)
{Yeah, you’ve got to marvel at the stupidity of voters in retaining this absolute shambles of a government and voting to kick Howard out instead. Now they’re forced to live with this rabble for another 2.5 years].
The common thread behind those two events was Workchoices. Every state government – good or bad – which had an election before Howard was finally disposed of, had a thumping great win – and workchoices figured prominently in all the campaigns. So let’s not impugn the intelligence of the voters when the responsibility clearly lies with the ideologue who tried to force that disgraceful policy on ordinary working Australians.
I’ve been concentrating on the ACT until now and haven’t actually looked at the NSW figures. I must say the results aren’t quite as bad for the ALP as I expected they would be. At the time the by-elections were called I expected (as I said here) Labor to lose all three seats – Ryde to the Libs and the other two to Greens or independents. But in fact Labor has retained Lakemba and Cabramatta. In the circs I think 58% in Lakemba is quite a good effort. Just under 50% in Cabramatta is worse, and I blame Reba Meagher’s neglect of the seat for that. A big chunk of the swings in Lakemba and Ryde is the loss of Iemma’s and Watkins’s personal vote. Obviously losing a seat and getting big negative swings is a bad result, but it’s not quite as bad as it might have been, or as bad as I expected.
Bit slow on the damage control =P
Adam,
I couldn’t really give a toss about what some washed up ex-ALP staffer “notes”.
I clearly recall you creeps labelling voters ‘racist’ after the 2001 election which was decided partly on border protection issues.
These results show that NSW voters are realising their stupidity exhibited during 2007. Simple as that. They deserve the next 2.5 years of hardship they inflicted on themselves.
Darn,
The Maldon to Port Kembla railway WAS 60% completed when it was axed by the Greiner Government.
I am intrigued by your question.
Tell me, how do you use a 60% completed railway?
In some ways tonights result went as I expected, I have often wondered why Cabramatta was nearly 30% when similar seats elsewhere are normally around the 15% mark.
I would imagine Ryde is historically a Liberal seat.
All up tonight confirms what we have long known and that is the NSW Government has a touch ask in being returned in three years time.
Voters deserve “hardship” because they didn’t vote for your party? That’s a tad arrogant, and I don’t know why you expect them to vote for the Libs with an attitude like that.
Darn,
Over the coming months, compare and contrast unemployment under the ‘disgraceful’ WorkChoices regime, and this current government’s policies. Come back to me then.
Has bludgers been going that long?
HA HA, just as I predicted yesterday, which makes me a better psephologist than Adam!
The tragedy for Nathan Rees is that out of the 3 Labor candidates, Nicole Campbell probably would have made the better potential MP! The other two guys are just more factional hacks and local mayors in bed with dodgy developers – carbon copies of Joe Tripodi! I pronounce this government dead, unless O’Farrell really stuffs up in the next 2 and a bit years.
A-C! I’m not sure the NSW results have any Federal implications, if anything the chances of the Liberals regaining Bennenlong will be enhanced and I don’t think the Liberals will have any trouble holding seats like Hughes and Macarthur but the Federal election is still 18 months away and with our the Economy is looking I would expect things will be very Interesting.
Yep Rudd causing that damn global financial meltdown… what was he thinking?!
AiC can you gissus a link to your posts on how GRN/IND would pick up Cabramatta or Lakemba.
I think the Libs would have had to run dead as they did in the halcyon day of Cunningham and hope their voters would hold their nose and vote for the GRN/IND. Instead they picked glam candidates (- at least in Cabramatta) and so it was never “on”.
No name-calling please, A-C.
I don’t think this result has any implications for Bennelong. It’s most likely a bellweather marginal seat anyway.
Considering how Maxine McKew has been performing, I reckon there’s a decent chance it could go Liberal next time around. I’d trade another election loss to watch her go down in flames in 2010.
barry 99 (106)
Not knowing the geography of that part of NSW I guess what I’m really asking is, did they just tear up the 60% of the track that was laid or was it used to service places somewhere between Maldon and Port Kembla? From your comment I’m guessing it was the former, which would have been an appalling waste of taxpayers money.
The Global Economic recession could work both ways it may on one hand wreck the Rudd Government, but if the Government can maintain a Budget surphus, have reduced Interest rates which is highly likely and as long as Unemployment doesn’t go too high and as long as House prices remain solid then Rudd could actually benefit for most people know this problem was caused by the U.S. Housing market.
Lets remember the thing which wrecked Scullin was his policy of cutting wages and pensions which stuffled the Economy, the Rudd approach is clearly different and also Rudd is acting before the Economy changes too must this gives him the look of leading from the front.
As long as the Economy has some growth, Rudd being a first term PM should be able to be returned, also alot will depend on the behaviour of Malcolm Turnbull.
Are the words “behaviour” and “Malcolm Turnbull” in anyway connected?
I certainly didn’t call anyone a racist in 2001. I supported Kim Beazley’s position, which was one of support for tough border protection. Everyone has conveniently forgotten that Labor actually supported nearly everything Howard did over Tampa – I certainly did.
Adam! A lot of ALP wel I should say Left wing for man were Green voters but many voters did go on and on about Australians being racist, uncaring, salfash, greedy, lasy, bigoted, mean, Unintelligence etc
I am still waiting for the Lefties to apologise
Malcome has behaved quite well so far, his been a little populist but all opposition leaders do that to some extent.
AC (109)
I was simply pointing out why Howard got the shove and the NSW government got a resounding victory. Why such an astute politician as John Howard did not see that coming is beyond me. The only explanation seems to be that he was blinded by his ideology.
The Australian people have delivered their verdict on Workchoices and it will be a long, long time before any conservative prime minister will ever dare to try anything like that again.
Hi everyone how are we all
105 A-C – you’re surely not using this election as a pointer to the next Federal election are you? Or are you talking about the next state election, in which case you a reasonable argument.
Why dont you join the libs Adam if you support so much of their right wing capitalist leaching ?
Gosh I am being attacked from the right and left simultaneously over the same issue! That’s how I know my position is correct
Darn,
The Maldon / Port Kembla railway was designed to be a Goods railway to take coal from the Southern Highlands (the area South West of Sydney) to Port Kembla (Wollongong).
The aim of the project was to reduce the rail distance between the coal mines and Port Kembla and also to remove the coal trains from the Sydney Suburban network.
It is my understanding that the 60% completed represents tunnels, bridges, cuttings and other earthworks.
The coal trains from the Southern Highlands are still using the metropolitan network. These conflict with suburban passengers services from Campbelltown to Glenfield in the southwest and Sydenham to Sutherland (and on to Wollongong) in the south.
In 1988, Bob Carr promised that the project would be recommenced when a Labor Government is elected. It hasn’t recommenced yet!
Darn – the Maldon-Dumbarton line had most of the line grading was completed, but was missing a key river crossing/viaduct, nor the track and electricity lines. So the 60% really relates to the line construction and grading and other bridge works. One concern I heard expressed was that the power usage for electric loco’s using the line was going to be too large for the existing power generators at Tallawarra, but that could have been an old engineers tale! But the line would have been a great goods line and could have been used to move goods via Port Kembla, potential to the proposed truck-rail transfer site near Maldon. This would have lowered container movements through Port Botany (whether via rail or truck) – something the residents of Port Botany would have been pleased with. It also (if used as a passenger line) improved services to Wollongong, but not necessarily shortened the times. Given the ongoing issues with the South Coast line, this would have relieved pressure on it.
Re Adam & the Greens/Independents taking Cabramatta or Lakemba – can’t say I ever thought that. 10% in those seats for the Greens is good (I thought 8% would be what we got) – the tremptation is actually for voters to punish the ALP by voting for the Libs, as it is the ALP state govt they most want to vent anger and frustration at. The interesting thing I noticed out at Canley Heights (in Cabramatta) today was the level of acceptance of the Greens by most voters. But I didn’t get a sense that the ALP was in for drubbing out there.
Actually wouldn’t the liberals winning Bennalong back be another slap in the face for John Howard?
Typo’s: “…had most of the line grading completed…” & “…would have improved services…” Barry99 is right about the coal trains!
Thanks for that Stewart and Barry.
Carr’s disposable promise to complete the railway is very similar to the many disposable promises our Labor government here in Victoria has made regarding the restoration or extension of railway lines.
GB @ 125 The Ryde by-election outcome is no pointer to the likely outcome of the next Federal election. Frankly, at the moment, there are no obvious pointers to the likely outcome of the next Federal contest.
I know the seat of Ryde reasonably well. It is populated by decent, hard working people and so what if some of them may be ‘God Botherers’ (cf. Post 98). Victor Dominello’s campaign slogan “Start the Change” was a handy one. Indeed, his new constituents have taken the opportunity to signal about 30 months in advance, the demise of the worst government at any level in this Commonwealth since the 1930s.
DC
Can you spell:
Week?
Long time?
Politics?
#134 Yes
I have to say I agree with your sentiments re the NSW ALP’s rule but the Liberals would be worse.
We forget the mess they made of things the last time they were in power in NSW. Services run down for purely ideological reasons, the pandering to the Nats etc etc.
And the current lot – faction ridden, just as beholden to developers and special interests as the ALP. They are lazy waiting for government to delivered to them by the people of NSW on the end of a shovel.
You should have sen what a rabble they were in Cabramatta today. Not a local on the booths I was on, workers messing around etc, workers failing to front up, candidate (a non-local who had been a member of the party for about 5 minutes) did not visit the booth etc etc. And they want to be in government? They can’t organise themselves.
Lalich who is yet another cookie cutter fixer should have been run a lot closer.
David Charles,
At my local polling booth today I saw one of those “start the change” posters and a picture of “stop the trains” O’Farrell.
It reminded me of the worst Government in my living memory – the Great Greiner/Fahey disaster.
I was inspired to vote Labor for the first time in my life!
If I was Labor, I’d be shitting myself. But not because of the Libs. If the Libs got a 10% swing in Western Sydney, what are they going to get in Balmain and Marrickville? That’s the Education Minister and Deputer Premier!
Balmain only has a margin of 7%, which normally would be considered safe, but judging by these results and those of the local government elections earlier…
Still, two years is a long, long time.
ABC report notes this is the first time Labor has lost a state seat in Sydney since 1988.
Crikey! There’s a lot of windbaggery coming from the right over state Labor losing just one seat. I suppose a starving man will grasp at anything after copping such a drubbing as the last election. I find it highly amusing that a result such as today’s in Ryde can cheer the Libs up so much. The seat was lost. We all knew that. What’s the problem? Labor will get chucked out in NSW next election. We all know that, too. Your next point is, A-C?
To try to transfer a suburban Sydney seat to the national level, especially when all the indicators we have – the polls – are showing public confidence in the Federal government at record levels just doesn’t make any sense. It will be a long, slow road back for Liberalism in Australia. All over the country people are breathing great gulps of air, huge sighs of relief that Work Choices is not what would have been a Howard government’s first line of defence against the international economic situation. If WCs had been still in place, endorsed by the people at the 2007 election, employers would be losing their nerve all over the place, reducing wages, sacking workers for “operational reasons” and using that odious law in many other ways to sandbag their businesses.
Instead, the country is realising that we’re all in this together, that a national effort, led by what seems to be an incredibly competent, confident and popular government will see the emergency through without the industrial law of the jungle needing to be applied to the throats of workers.
The whole world is changing… from the corrupt NSW state government, right up to the very basis of capitalism around the globe. The dreary rightoids, like so many cultists waiting for the end of the world on a cold mountaintop somewhere, believe – or have convinced themselves into believing – that a mistake was made for which the “stupid” voters (that is, the ones they want to support them at the next election) should rightly be punished. It sounds quite fascist, as if they think the ordinary man in the street doesn’t deserve to have a Liberal government. It’d be too good for them.
Geez A-C and the rest of you bizarre Howard cultists, until you shake off that attitude you haven’t got a snowflake’s chance in the fires of hell at getting re-elected next time, or the time after that, possibly not for a decade. I think more and stronger medicine is necessary for you to get the message, and it’ll come in bucketfulls unless you wise up to the changing times and attitudes out here in the real world. State Labor has a harsh lesson to learn. Federal Labor has learnt the lesson already. Will the Libs also pick up the vibe? At the moment it doesn’t seem so.
Sure Labor lost Ryde, and suffered big swings in the other seats, as they deserved to do, but there’s very little connection between that and national issues. I wouldn’t read too much into tonight except that arrogance and a born to rule mentality is always sniffed out by the voters and those who practice it are booted out post haste. You might think of applying that thought to the chances of your own rabble at the federal level. It’s a two-way street.
Yeah Baz -spot on.
Greiner who got beaten in the safe Liberal seat of Willoughby by a flamin’ bus driver, Eddie Britt at his first tilt at politics and had to slink off to Ku-ring-gai.
People around Chatswood must’ve been real impressed with his shiny new Harvard MBA (was he a classmate of “W”?).
When he did jag the leadership (last man standing) he turned himself into a Thatchler clone (but without the gonads).
I can’t work out if Oz@138 is taking the piss or not…
Bill I would have though that if Rees can organise a few show trials and demonstrate that he is really really trying very hard to please he has a chance.
The Libs organisation is in a shambles at the moment. Who is going to turn that around?
Wait, shit. Replace “Libs” in the second sentence with “Greens” and that makes a lot more sense.
Some typo…
About the same chance as an asteroid hitting the Liberal Party Picnic Day and wiping out the party. Labor’s gone, and good riddance. They’re an embarrassment to Labor voters.
(NSW State Labor, that is)
Yeah I’d be willing to put up with one term (only one term) of the Libs if it meant a clean out of the Labor Party.
Something that went under-reported today – Linda Burney, who’s the Minister for Youth and Community Services, called for an end to Labor factionalism. Dunno how far she’d get.
Rees should have gotten rid of Tripodi etc. when he had the chance. He had nothing to lose.
Bill
I thought that in March last year. And then the LGA elections this year was going to be the day of the long knives. But not so.
I don’t know what it is but people don;t like the NSW Liberals at state level…
Has anything changed?
State Labor is still atrocious. I’m probably setting up a strawman, but are their defenders really, when it comes down to it saying we should give them another term?
The Libs have many faults, but at least one can hope they “might” be better (since nothing is 100% certain once in power…). NSW Labor you know nothing will change
Give the Greens a chance to run the state and see if they can fix it. Both NSW Labor and NSW Liberal parties are a shamble controlled by factionalism and under the thumb of developers.
Andrew Stoner, NSW Nats leader, is apparently rather annoyed with the Libs supporting Besseling in Port Macquarie – article here. Thinking out loud here… the smart thing for him to do would be to break the coalition and do what Brendon Grylls just successfully did in WA. Thing is, NSW has several rural independents already, so that could turn messy. Imagine a four way cornered contest between Libs, Nats, an independent and maybe ALP running fourth, somewhere like Oxley (Stoner’s seat), Barwon, Myall Lakes etc. Gonna need to watch themselves.
Also, it’s possible the Greens could do well in Ballina or Lismore. Five-cornered contest, anyone?
No 150
And the Greens are run by an ex-communist, so I don’t think any sane person would want them to be in government.
No 136
Albertross, how can the Libs possibly be worse than the absolute bloody rabble that are running the joint in NSW at the moment? NSW Labor is really indefensible. They are worse than Gough Whitlam’s rabble – perhaps the worst in Australian federal history – and that’s saying something!
I’d also like to put in a good word for Dai Le who against all odds secured an enormous swing of 22% in her favour. Not enough to win, but a gargantuan effort nonetheless. I’d say Nick Lalich, the pathetic mayor of Fairfield, should be watching himself. Dai Le may well have a chance to win in 2.5 years, now that the seat is at a reasonable margin.
GP, no doubt Dai Le did a tremendous job, but these by-election swings don’t stick. Remember that Labor won back Bass Hill in 1988 and easily retained Rockdale, not to mention Canberra at the 1996 federal election – both of which were otherwise disastrous elections for them.
No 155
True to an extent, but Le is unique in the sense that her ethnic connection to the local community makes her a strong candidate. Moreover, given the fact that the people of NSW must endure another 2.5 years of Labor rabble, it may not be so easy for Lalich.
Against which odds, GP? People were expecting big swings. And if you reckon she’s got a chance in 2011… look up the Bass Hill and Rockdale by-elections. The Unsworth govt got destroyed at the next election after that, but those two seats swung back to Labor. Most likely the same thing’ll happen here – half the seats in Sydney will go Liberal (plus a couple to the Greens), but there’s be 10-15% swings to Labor in Lakemba and Cabramatta.
Also, don’t forget that she was parachuted into the seat only three weeks ago. A 22% swing is remarkable. Imagine the potential with 30 months of getting to know the community even better. You can’t discount her.
No 157
I was expecting big swings BoP, but nowhere in the vicinity of 22% – especially in a seat with a 30% margin! I thought we’d only get Ryde with a 12% swing. We got 25% in the end. Even Lakemba got a 15% swing. These are massive swings.
Granted, I expect Lakemba will probably swing back to Labor. But I think Cabramatta is different. If Dai Le stays on to contest it in 2011, I think she has every chance of winning.
A very interesting link here – Antony Green on the 2005 by-elections. Apparently Northern Tablelands had a swing of 4.2% at a by-election in 1987, then 24% at the following election. Anyone looking for a record swing, that’s gotta be pretty close to the mark.
GP,
If the Liberal Party can’t win the seat in a by-election – where anti-government feeling is at its most magnified – then they’re not going to win it at a general election. It’s as simple as that.
This is still the same seat that voted Labor 79-21 at the last election, and as such the Libs will still be effectively aiming for a 29% swing at the next election. No matter how on the nose Labor are, that’s not gonna happen.
I don’t think the personality of the candidates really comes into it in a major way. But even if it did, it’s difficult to see how 2½ years of Liberal campaigning trumps 2½ years of a Labor MP serving his constituents.
And I say this as someone who thinks the Coalition will win the next state election in a canter. But as for upending ALP heartland seats like Cabramatta? Fuhgedaboutit. The Liberals will have to do more than just stand Asian candidates to win over working class Asian voters.
If the seat was ever going to fall, it would have fallen tonight. Clearly it’s just not that sort of seat.
116 “I’d trade another election loss to watch her go down in flames in 2010.”
That’s a lot of hurt you’re still carrying, especially 11 months on. You should look at the positive of McKew’s win, it saved Howard the embaressment of coming up with an excuse to break another promise to resign his seat after the libs defeat.
It also highlights as others have pointed out, including Costello, the folly of focusing on the person instead of the party. that person departs and it leaves a vacuum behind.
I’d lay Turnbull to follow Howard as the next leader to lose his seat and then Hockey in 2013.
162 Castle, just keep an eye out for Caloundra in the next Queensland state election where the Deputy Leader of the Liberal National Party parliamentary team, Mark McArdle is a big risk of being ousted. The latest redistribution was very unkind to him.
Interesting, GP mentions Dai Le’s links to community… Do you mean the one she doesn’t live in?
steve,
Caloundra’s gone from 4.4% to 2.2%.
But if this year’s state and territory elections have taught us anything, it’s that the conservative oppositions will be making up ground at future elections, not losing ground. McArdle is probably safe.
^ That should read future state elections. (specifically Qld, Tas, SA, Vic, NSW)
David, it looks as though you are planning to bet against him and are trying to ensure good odds for yourself. Bet early and bet often would be the best approach.
Now that Malcolm is leader he should be able to improve his position in Wentworth! yes Howard was leader but he seemed to have less in common with Bennenlong than Turnbull has with Wentworth.
Can seats like Cabramatta and Lakemba fall at the next state election, I seriously dealt that the Liberals will get close.
The thing I notice when looking though election results is for the most part Elections are won and lost in the same seats election after election, very rearly do we have a large transfer of seats from one party heartland towards the other side.
Sure there may be ALP seats around the 10-15% margin that may fall but the irony of Australian politics is the more things change the more they stay the same.
Therefore the next NSW election will be decided in the same seats that have hearlded the past few changes of Government.
I would be surprised if the ALP won additional seats in Qld, they have had two very large wins and have been unable to win the seat of Caloundra! a Government seeking a fourth term very rearly win extra seats unless the opposition does something wrong or there is sonme local factor but I would imagine that the ALP would be putting their resources into seats they already hold therefore the campaign for Caloundra wont be as well funded therefore the sitting MP as long as he is well liked should be able to hold.
GP(152)
You really do need to get over this communist fixation of yours. The cold war finished twenty years ago.
BTW did you notice that the socialist economic theories of John Maynard Keynes are being used by governments all across the western world right now to dig us out of the financial hole we’re all in – just as they were during the great depression of the 1930s?. The world is not as black and white as some would have us believe and arguably it is unrestrained capitalism that is our biggest threat at the moment – not communism.
GP insufferable as ever chunders of a Sunday morning:
The NSW Liberals have form…
And your point is… Firstly Lee Rhiannon is not leader of the Greens in NSW, plus you had better have some facts to back your quite pernicious lie up. Do you write for the Tel-a-lie? Membership many years ago of a youth political organisation is hardly grounds for a lifelong ban on political activity as you seem to suggest. As in Ireland and Germany (and ACT, Leichhardt and Byron for that matter) the Greens are going to be active participants in government in Australia so get used to it.
If by “parachuted” you mean she joined the Liberal Party days before nominating you would be right. What does this say about the Liberal Party organisation? Let me spell it out – they have no one repeat no one locally who they could run as a credible candidate. They had to run a latte sipping, inner city terrace dwelling member of the mainstream media (ABC Radio National at that) – just how bankrupt is that?
Her personal campaign was based almost entirely on her ethnicity. This did not go down well with the other ethnic groups in the area: Italians, Serbs, Poles etc.. They did not work for her on the hustings (100% of the helpers of the booths I was on were from areas outside Cabramatta) nor does it seem that they voted for her in any great numbers.
I don’t hold any brief for Nick Lalich but he is a local and he has been on Fairfield Council for 21 years. The people’s verdict on him in the popular vote for Mayor the other week was that he got 61%. The Libs got 33%.
You should really take tablets for that Born to Rule fantasy you have and you should also get out more.
Darn, Keynes was not a socialist! He was a British liberal (a very different beast to the ignorant populist reactionary swill of used-car dealers and crooked solicitors who try to pass themselves off as liberals in this country).
Albertross comment “You should really take tablets for that Born to Rule fantasy”
I think we now know what the other tables in the Matrix Movie are for
Adam (172)
I know Keynes was not a card carrying socialist, but his theories – which have been proven absolutely correct for these circumstances – IMHO definitely have a socialist tinge about them – enough for the rampant free marketeers of the US to feel decidedly uncomfortable with the government “interference” in their financial institutions at the moment..
Julie Bishop thinks Cabramatta is still in doubt lol
“It’s certainly been a political earthquake in NSW when seats like Cabramatta are still in question,” Ms Bishop told the Ten Network.
If we are going to discuss ‘Asian’ voters it’s the middle-class voters in this group that are significant. Labor’s apparent loss of these voters in Ryde suggests that some 10%+ seats are at risk ie. Strathfield which was a Liberal seat before 1999. it is amusing however how the political right usually crusade against the evils of ethnic politics (Labor branch stacking, family reunion blah blah etc.) but whenever they think there are votes to be had they reverse this position overnight. Still such Liberal pragmatism is good for multiculturalism.
Julie Bishop – definitely good with numbers…
GP’s comment about Dai Le’s ‘ethnic connection’ to the community was fairly brain-dead, but actually correct in a way. There’s a very interesting documentary called ‘Taking Charge Of Cabramatta’, which was on ABC a few years ago – about a Vietnamese festival in Cabramatta, a few years after John Newman was murdered. Trouble was, one of the main subjects of it was Phuong Ngo, and he got arrested for the murder shortly after filming finished, and the film ended up not released until a couple of years ago. Anyway, it was made by Dai Le, and her husband Markus Lambert – he was also a Fairfield councillor, and ran against Meagher as an independent in 1999. Didn’t get close, but did come second (he’s partly responsible for a blip in the ALP primary vote seen on this page). So there’s your connection. For what it’s worth (nothin’
), I’d've preferenced her above Labor if I was voting there.
There’s a page on the doco here. I’m not sure if it’s downloadable from anywhere, but if you can get hold of it, I recommend it.
Generic Person,
I can understand you going all splooey over the fragrant Dai Le with that mammoth swing. However, it may be worth noting that she has committed the same sin that the irksome Ms Meagher was guilty of. That is, not living in the electorate. While I understand that living in Dulwich Hill cannot compare to living next door to the Bra Boys at Coogee, it stiil doesn’t cut it as living in Cabramatta. And we both know that these these by-elections are cathartic for voters. The vast majority of the Cabramatta, Lakemba and even Ryde voters will be back. And Dai le will be standing on a corner on New Canterbury Rodad wondering what happened.
But you can look forward to a Lib government in NSW. I just hope big Barry takes out the hopeless Kenneally from Heffron. Well, we can always hope…
Roy, I’ll shoot myself before I let my seat, Heffron, turn Liberal. If Labor gets a ~7% swing against it, and most of that goes to The Greens, we’ll have a Greens MP.
Oz,
I live there too and I’ve never voted anything but Labor since 1974. But I will be voting against this princess first chance I get. And I reckon you’d shoot yourself if you had to deal with her office. But she will prevail, and she and her staff will go on providing sub-standard service.
Maaaaaan, I hate this Labor government and Keneally quite a bit… but the Libs?
I think The Greens have a good chance of outpolling the Libs and then overtaking Labor. But I can’t see Greens voters here preferencing the Libs over Labor, so if Greens don’t win then Labor will.
re: Vera @ #175
You think that’s funny.
In Lakemba, the Liberal candidate’s election fliers are being distributed TODAY!
LOL, it’s funny to see the poor old geriatric Liberal people still fighting the Cold War. Communists, indeed! The party of the past, cooling their heels in God’s waiting room, fixated on the past…
Despite the massive 22 percent swing to the Nationals they failed to pick up Port Macquarie. The good outcome of the result is that all New South Wales Nationals members now know that the Liberals are out for their destruction. Rural Liberals Bill Hefferan and Alby Shultz conspired with Local Liberal Branch President Ken Dodds and his band of 11 members(probably blowins from Sydney) to see Independent Peter Bressling win the seat.
The Liberals must never be allowed to gain a foothold in Northern NSW has they have done in Southern NSW(state: Wagga, Albury, Goulburn and Bega; Federal: Farrer, Gilmore and Hume all in former Nationals heartland)
Whilst in Queensland the two parties have come together under the LNP due in part to the Nationals having been the dominant party. New South Wales is different and the National Party will have to be more aggressive against the Liberals in order to survive.
Mate, virtually all Port Macquarie people are blow-ins from Sydney. The days of the National party having any relevance here finished on Saturday.
The Nationals ran a filthy campaign in Port Macquarie, as usual, and deserved to lose.
The ‘Just Vote 1′ campaign was organised and run by the Nats in an attempt to stop voters giving preferences that might have gone to Peter Besseling.
Today in the Port Macquarie News the Nats NSW state director Ben Franklin was claiming that the Nationals encouraged people to simply vote one for Leslie Williams in the lead-up to Saturday’s by-election because they were confident that she would be one of the top two candidates and preferences would not be needed. Utter bullshit! The Nats had phone polled extensively in the weeks before the by-election and had learnt that preferences would be vital and would probably allow Besseling to take the seat. They had embarked on a crusade to make sure all voters did not allocate any preferences at all. Fortunately it didn’t work out as they had hoped.
The Nats ran the ‘Just Vote 1′ campaign. Polling places were festooned with red and white ‘Just Vote 1′ posters. People on hand-out duty wore white T-shirts with ‘Just Vote 1′ emblazoned in red, they did an excellent job of pretending to be representatives from the State Electoral Office. It was only when you read the extremely small print at the bottom of their literature that you found out this shonky little operation had been approved by the Nats.
Then there’s the appeal to the Greens to take Besseling’s name off the how-to-vote info. Greens campaigners on polling booth duty on Saturday claimed to have been present when a phone call came in with that request, it most definitely did not stop after a few bantering words between Sylvia Hale and Melinda Pavey.
There was also the scare campaign aimed at elderly voters. Mrs Wiliams held a public meeting where she claimed that the NSW government would pass legislation that would see oldies in retirement communities out of pocket for expenses such as maintenance and capital improvement. She came over all caring and promised to fight this dreadful law. She forgot to tell her audience that the Retirement Villages Amendment Bill 2008 had already been passed by the Legislative Assembly with enthusiastic support from her own party and has been introduced to the Legislative Council on 23 September 2008, where it is expected to pass without any problem. She didn’t mention to her audience that she would, if elected, have no chance at all to debate the bill or to ‘fight’ it.
The real dirty campaign in Port Macquarie was run by the 11 local Liberals supported by its property developer president Ken Dodds.
The Liberals dreams of holding Northern NSW seats leds them into the arms of so-called independents to the great detriment of the Coalition.
The Nationals play their politics tough only because they have to an alliance and coalition of all groupings within the Australian political establishment are out for their complete destruction. The Just Vote One strategy was clever and was used successful in Queensland under Beattie Labor.
Nash and OC: What do you reckon the chances are of more local independents taking out existing National seats like Barwon, Myall Lakes, Oxley etc? It seems to be becoming the usual thing over there. (The same kind of swap from one independent to another at a by-election happened in Dubbo a few years back.)
The chance was blown in Myall Lakes at the 2003 election. A single good independent should have got up but the mayors of both Great Lakes and Taree both stood and Chadban from Great Lakes “forgot” to register his HTV. Both these long standing mayors are gone and I don’t think anyone local has a significant profile at the moment. Paul Hogan the new mayor of Taree may be able to develop a profile over the next 30 months, if he wants to.
Paul Nash,
All of the NSW Nationals’ state MPs on the mid north coast are blow-ins.
John Turner, the member for Myall Lakes, is a blow-in from Cessnock. He only moved from Cessnock after being elected to parliament.
Andrew Stoner, member for Oxley, is a blow-in from Brisbane. He joined the NSW Nationals just before the 1996 Port Macquarie by-election.
Andrew Fraser, member for Coffs Harbour is from Newcastle.
As for Southern NSW being Nationals heartland, I suggest you do a little research.
Here’s a few points I can recall off the top of my head.
State seats:
Albury – has never been won by the Nationals or Country Party
Wagga – has not been won by the Nationals or Country Party since 1938
Bega – the seat was created in 1988 and has only been contested once by the Nationals. From what I can determine, the Nationals or Country Party have never won a seat on the NSW South Coast.
Goulburn – this seat has been held by Ron Brewer and Robert Webster for National / Country Party. The Nats were kind enough to donate it to the Liberals.
Federal:
Farrer – this seat was created in 1949 and has only ever had one non Liberal Party member, Tim Fischer.
Gilmore – this seat is hardly National Party heartland. The seat that John Sharp won in 1984 included Goulburn and towns further west. Even after door knocking every town in the electorate, the Nats were struggling to reach 20% in South Coast booths.
Hume – the Nationals all but gave this seat to the Liberals. IMHO if Alby retired (or carked it) then the Nats have a reasonable chance of regaining this seat.
The National/Country Party’s strength in the north rather than the south of NSW owes much to the party’s long connections with the New England New State movement. It’s only after the defeat of the New State Referendum in 1967 that the Country Party finally let the idea of a New England state slip. Mind you, the Liberal Party made sure they included Newcastle in the proposed state to ensure that the referendum was defeated.
Antony,
Thanks for that information.
To Answer the Previous blogs;
Bird of Paradox at 189
I hope the age of the rural independents in over in New South Wales come the next election. Dubbo was close both at the by-election to replace McCrane with Fardell and her re-election at the 2007 election. Labor preferences assisted her on both occasions and with Labor on the nose their preferences will be fewer and fewer come 2011. This should assist the Nationals in reclaiming Dubbo and Tamworth on simple mathematical dimensions. The Speaker of the NSW lower House elected by his Labor mates is Richard Torbay the Independent member for Northern Tablelands and his spending big according to some sources in the Parliamentary speakers office this should rub off in 2011 and see the Nationals return in this seat once held by Wran Labor. Port Macquarie may come back to the Nationals with a higher voter turnout at a General Election.
Barry 99 @ 191 and Antony Green @ 192
I understand both your points well but the real problem facing the National profile particularly in Southern NSW is the effect aggregation of Regional TV stations in the early 1990’s. Win based in Wollongong is Sydney centric and the National Party profile in submerged by this Labor/Liberal main contest. NBN in Northern NSW is still problematic but not yet to the same degree.
If 2011 is to be a rerun of 1988 Labor’s problem is that the left vote is split, many Green voters will only vote 1. Labor might do worse in Sydney than in 1988: Blacktown & Londonderry look at risk, but Labor might do a bit better in the country than in 1988 Bathurst & Cessnock should be held and Monaro might be difficult for the Nats.
Paul Nash,
Your comments sound like something from National Leader magazine or its predecessor, The Countryman.
If TV aggregation hurt the Nationals so much, how come independent candidates with limited resources have flourished since 1991?
Maybe the electors are astute enough to realise that an independent MP can do more for their electorate then a National Party opposition backbencher.
No 171
Albertross, what a load of rubbish mate.
Dai Le was raised in the area, married in the area and her family in the area. So she is not some candidate that has absolutely no links to the community unlike the former Member for Coogeematta, Reba Meagher, who was parachuted from the eastern suburbs to run for Cabramatta in 1994. Your absolute failure to recognise that fact highlights your appalling double standards.
SNIP: Defamatory comment deleted – The Management.
GP, please read and take note of the edit I have made to your previous comment. This is no laughing matter.
No 198
Point fully taken, William.
Thank you.
This is wrong – Labor didn’t run a candidate in the 2004 by-election. They got 11.1% in 2007… it’s hard to see them going much backwards from that. In 2007, Fardell was 0.9% behind the Nats on primary vote, but won by 0.9% – the figures here would suggest about half the Labor voters preferenced the Nats, so they’re neither helped not hindered by any reduction in Labor’s vote. If the Nats want to win Dubbo, they’ll have to do it themselves.
As for Torbay, he ain’t going nowhere… he beat the Nats 72.7 to 17.7 on primary last time. Tamworth’s more winnable for them, but if it’s following Northern Tablelands (and New England federally), the Nats are gonna get squelched. Will be interesting to see which one happens. As for Port Macquarie, they’ve blown their best chance to get that back.
The NSWEC seems to have all the declaration votes for Lakemba added to the result but it’s still only 80.3% of the total enrollment, this seems too low, even for a by-election. Do they wait until all the votes from a certain part of the declarations are counted before they add them to the results or do they continuously update it?
So, I found put they continually update the results not enter them all at once.
Are you waiting for something in particular? Isn’t it pretty much cut and dried?
Just waiting for the final results so I can get the exact percentages.
Fair enough.