A new political era is underway in New South Wales and in something of a rarity, Chris Minns takes the job of Premier with the support of not only those who voted for him, but seemingly everyone else too.
One thinks had Dominic Perrottet lived in Kogarah even he would have considered a vote for his political rival such was the respect and civility he and Minns brought to the campaign.
It is refreshing, without doubt, to have Minns be given such a welcome.
But I have no doubt there will be a review somewhere along the line that suggests the Coalition were too soft on Labor in the campaign, giving Minns the inside running when it came to swinging voters.
Minns’ regularly used line that the Coalition had been in government for 12 years, and were asking for 16, likely resonated well with those who were undecided, and the general nature of the political cycle struck.
Very few people in the Liberal Party thought they would win last Saturday.
But they held out hope that when people had the pencil in hand on polling day, they would choose the devil they knew – the one that had spent the last 12 years building stadiums, motorways, transport links and other major infrastructure; and had guided us through COVID.
But Labor had all the momentum and Minns picked his approach well, delivering a strong campaign that played into the cyclic nature of politics and the reality that after 12 years in power, the time had come for the Coalition.
And indeed this result will allow the Liberal Party a period of much-needed soul searching and perspective.
We all know the brand is on the nose across the country, and the result in New South Wales will hopefully spark some legitimate change in approach.
Western Sydney again proved critical at the election, and here in Parramatta we saw a wild swing to Labor of some 15 per cent (as of Monday morning), a result that would have plenty of Liberals asking “what more do we need to do” given how much investment has been thrown at the seat in the past four years.
Truth is, this was a cost-of-living election and it really doesn’t matter how many stadiums and museums you build, or how many motorways and transport links you construct, when people are struggling to pay their electricity bill every quarter.
Skyrocketing rents and a problematic rental market would have also played a part in Parramatta; given the high proportion of renters the seat has. In no uncertain terms, they gave the Coalition a whack and ordered the next government to do better.
The honeymoon period for Minns will not last long, and Labor must now deliver the ‘fresh start’ NSW apparently needed.
It is a fresh start that actually begins in a pretty good place.
Minns will have the bonus of opening plenty of projects that were kicked off by his political rivals, always the quirk of a change of government.
But he will also now need to deliver the better wages he has promised for nurses, teachers, police officers and paramedics; and he’ll have to find a way to pay for it.
I would implore the new Premier to approach government with the same level of civility he did the election campaign.
That is, not everything is the previous government’s fault.
Incoming governments have a habit of making everything about the party previously in charge; and while you can give some leeway to this argument, let’s hope it’s not something Minns and his Ministers carry on with.
Minns’ approach to the campaign and to his leadership while in Opposition, while very deliberate, is something that those who voted for him, and even those who didn’t, now expect to see in government. If he pulls it off, he could become one of the most popular Premiers in the state’s history.
It’s impossible to blame Dominic Perrottet for the Liberals’ election defeat and while his decision to stand down was expected and understandable, there would be plenty wishing he’d stick around to lead the new Opposition.
Thankfully, Matt Kean has withdrawn from the leadership race, allowing the party to get back to a sensible position on key issues over the next four years.
But with a limited talent pool to choose from given the bloodbath on Saturday night, you really do have to wonder if the next Liberal leader is even in Parliament yet.
A logical, albeit controversial choice would have been Stuart Ayres, but he’s lost his marginal seat of Penrith to Karen McKeown, taking him out of play.
That leaves someone like Alister Henskens, who hardly ignites inspiration and would be 63 by the time the next election rolls around. Not old by any means, but in stark contrast to the youthful energy Minns provides.
Anthony Roberts’ name has also been thrown around. He offers plenty of experience but one does wonder if the Liberals’ answer to their woes is the Member for Lane Cove, particularly when it desperately needs to reconnect to the west.
The challenges for the Liberal Party are enormous, but the new leader will be focused on a grassroots rebuild, hopefully alongside the Federal party too.
For now, though, it’s Minns’ moment. He deserves the chance and opportunity to deliver on the platform he presented at the election, and regardless of your political persuasion, there is a feeling of positivity in the air as this new era begins.
And another thing…
I noted last week and I’ll say again, I cannot fathom how Lord Mayor Donna Davis could possibly undertake both her current role and that of State Member for Parramatta.
Her election victory on Saturday night and the enormity of what is ahead will hopefully see some common sense emerge.
Davis must step down as Lord Mayor and indeed she should exit Council at the earliest opportunity.
Parramatta is a city that deserves its State Member to have a full-time focus, and equally deserves its Lord Mayor to be independent of State or Federal Government.
The crossovers aren’t enough to justify doing both roles.
Troy Dodds is Parra News' Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia’s leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.