This was published 2 years ago
Thanks for your company today. It’s been a slow one for counting, hasn’t it?
We called Miranda earlier today for the Liberals’ Eleni Petinos, who has now stretched sizeably ahead of Simon Earle of Labor.
Kiama was also called – for independent Gareth Ward. He too is now sitting significantly ahead of Labor’s candidate Katelin McInerney, who earlier today conceded defeat.
Two hours ago, Labor’s candidate for Kiama, Katelin McInerney, posted on Facebook conceding the race in Kiama, which was called for Gareth Ward earlier today.
“As the counting continues it has become clear that Labor will not win the seat of Kiama,” she said.
“While the result is disappointing, I am incredibly proud of the positive and disciplined campaign we have run to give both Kiama and NSW a fresh start.”
“After a long campaign, I am looking forward to spending some time with my family and continuing to advocate for my community to make sure we get the fresh start we deserve,” she said.
As you’d know, there are now three seats we’re yet to call: the numbers are just too tight.
But the one with the closest margin is Terrigal: there are 213 votes between the two candidates, with Liberal Adam Crouch currently ahead.
There’s still just under 30 per cent of the vote – including some postal votes – to be counted.
Good afternoon, Anthony Segaert with you for the rest of the day.
On the back of the news that the Herald has called the seat of Kiama for Gareth Ward, the independent MP has just issued a statement thanking his electorate for supporting him.
“When it comes to elections, the people always get it right and it is with humility and honour that I look forward to continuing to work hard and get results for the people of our community as the local Member for Kiama,” Ward said.
“Thank you to the hundreds of people who worked on my campaign and backed me all the way.”
He acknowledged Labor’s candidate, Katelin McInerney, and said she deserved “every accolade for her efforts in this contest”.
“This election victory may have seemed impossible to some,” he said. “I received no preferences from any party and I was deeply disappointed with the smear campaign by Unions NSW. I dare say many decent union members would be disgusted if they knew how their union fees were being spent.”
A few of you have asked for an update on results from the Legislative Council – the big ballot you filled out on election day.
One of you, Stumped, asked:
Can you provide updates on the MLC seats being counted?
In short, we won’t know the final results by seat until April 10 (Easter Monday). This is because the 21 members are determined by the “quota” of votes they have received. Once one candidate meets that quota (typically 4.55 per cent required for one upper house seat), any votes they receive above that are redistributed to other candidates using a formula. This process is complex and makes it tricky to predict the final make-up of the upper house until all votes – including postal and absentee votes – have been counted.
Only votes made above the line were counted on election night. My colleague Jordan Baker wrote on Monday that Labor could pick up eight spots, the Coalition six, and the Greens two. One Nation attracted just over 5 per cent of the vote, potentially enough to gain another upper house seat, while the Legalise Cannabis Party is confident of winning its first seat in the NSW upper house.
The Herald has called the seat of Kiama for independent Gareth Ward.
Ward, who has held the seat on the NSW South Coast since 2011, is leading Labor candidate Katelin McInerney by more than 1000 votes now, with three quarters of ballots counted.
The former minister was suspended from parliament last year after being charged with historical sexual and indecent assault. He denies the charges, and pleaded not guilty in Nowra District Court yesterday.
Premier Chris Minns would not be drawn further yesterday on his intentions if the MP was successfully returned to parliament.
“I want to wait and see what the outcome of the ballot is. We’re still very hopeful, and I think in the commanding position to win that seat. I think that will be good for the parliament,” Minns said at the time.
Chief scientist Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte will likely lead an inquiry into why a mass fish kill in Menindee 20 times larger than 2019’s catastrophe struck the Darling River earlier this month.
Chris Minns is spending his first full day as premier in Menindee for briefings with local authorities alongside Environment Minister Penny Sharpe and former shadow spokesperson for water Rose Jackson.
The premier met a fisherman, Charlie Henderson, who was still pulling dying fish out of the river as part of the efforts to remove 8-10 tonnes of dead fish.
Here’s what Minns said:
Regrettably, we weren’t able to get to this part of NSW during the election campaign. But, having been ... sworn in 24 hours ago, we wanted to make sure that people in regional NSW knew that they’d be a priority for this incoming government. I think that the images of fish piling up on the side of the banks of this beautiful river was a concern for us, and we wanted to make sure that we saw it with our own eyes.”
As we head into lunchtime, let’s check in with the vote count in some key seats.
The Liberals lead the vote count in Goulburn, Holsworthy and Terrigal, with over 70 per cent of votes now counted in each of those electorates. Independent Gareth Ward has pulled ahead of Labor’s Katelin McInerney in Kiama.
We’re also keeping one eye on Ryde, where Labor candidate Lyndal Howison leads Liberal Jordan Lane by 235 votes. In a Facebook post last night, Howison said she expected the margin to tighten even further as postal and absentee votes are counted.
“I remain hopeful, but I also know that a lot of people are doing an awful lot of cleaning to stay busy,” the high school teacher and former councillor wrote.
NSW hasn’t had a change of government for 12 years, and the state’s electoral system has plenty of quirks, so you can be forgiven for feeling a bit out of the loop.
It looks like the count won’t be over anytime soon, so if there’s anything you’re curious to know more about, drop us a line in the box below, and we will try and find you an answer.
The Herald’s Matt Wade has just called the south Sydney seat of Miranda for the Liberals.
It means Liberal incumbent Eleni Petinos has survived a swing of 14 per cent against her to see off Labor’s Simon Earle. She is leading Earle by about 500 votes with 57 per cent of votes counted.
Petinos, a former minister for small business and fair trading in Dominic Perrottet’s government, has held the seat since wresting it from Labor in 2015.
The win takes the Coalition to 32 seats in the lower house. They lead the vote counts in Terrigal, Holsworthy and Goulburn.