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| 2023 New South Wales state election | |
|---|---|
| Election name | 2023 New South Wales state election |
| Country | Australia |
| Type | parliamentary |
| Previous election | 2019 New South Wales state election |
| Previous year | 2019 |
| Next election | 2027 New South Wales state election |
| Next year | 2027 |
| Election date | 25 March 2023 |
2023 New South Wales state election was held on 25 March 2023 to elect members to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and the New South Wales Legislative Council. The contest featured the incumbent Gladys Berejiklian‑era successor Dominic Perrottetʼs Liberal–National Coalition against the Australian Labor Party led by Chris Minns, with prominent participation from the Greens, Pauline Hanson's One Nation, and multiple independents including figures from the Teal independents movement. The result ended a 12‑year Coalition government and returned Labor to power in Sydney and across regional electorates.
The election followed a period of political upheaval in New South Wales politics, including the 2021 resignation of Gladys Berejiklian and the subsequent leadership of Dominic Perrottet as Premier and leader of the Liberal Party of New South Wales. Fiscal debates traced to policies from the Sydney Metro and infrastructure projects such as the WestConnex program, while crises including the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season and the COVID‑19 pandemic shaped public discourse. Labor under Chris Minns sought to capitalise on controversies involving ministers such as Michael Daley and administrative scandals tied to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption investigations, as well as broader debates around public services in Newcastle and Wollongong.
Elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly used single‑member districts through optional preferential voting, with districts such as Vaucluse and Maroubra contested under redistributions by the NSW Electoral Commission. The New South Wales Legislative Council employed a proportional representation method using the single transferable vote with group voting tickets abolished, mirroring arrangements in jurisdictions like the Australian Senate. Voting was compulsory under laws maintained by the Parliament of New South Wales, with enrolment and roll arrangements administered by the NSW Electoral Commission. Campaign finance and disclosure were governed by instruments influenced by precedents such as reforms after the Bundanoon and ICAC inquiries.
The campaign featured leader debates involving Dominic Perrottet and Chris Minns, televised on outlets across Sydney and regional media markets, with policy announcements covering health services in Wagga Wagga, infrastructure funding for Parramatta, and energy plans touching on the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Labor pitched services and metropolitan planning reforms, referencing entities like the Transport for NSW and the NSW Treasury, while the Coalition highlighted tax and business measures with endorsements from business groups and figures linked to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Greens emphasised climate policy connected to the Great Barrier Reef debate and urban planning, while independents aligned with the teal independent model campaigned on integrity and anti‑corruption echoing ICAC recommendations. High‑profile candidates included former federal figures, local mayors from councils such as Lane Cove Council and activists from organisations like GetUp!.
The Australian Labor Party, led by Chris Minns, achieved a net gain of seats in the Legislative Assembly, unseating the incumbent Coalition in key electorates including inner‑city Sydney and growing regional seats around the Hunter and Illawarra. The final composition of the Legislative Assembly saw Labor with an overall majority, while the Coalition (comprising the Liberals and the Nationals) incurred significant losses in affluent metropolitan seats such as North Shore and Willoughby. The Legislative Council outcome returned a more fragmented crossbench with representation for the Greens, One Nation, minor parties including Legalise Cannabis, and several independents with backgrounds in community activism and business. Voter turnout and informal ballot rates were analysed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Sydney Morning Herald with detailed booth‑level results from the NSW Electoral Commission.
Following the count, Chris Minns was sworn in as Premier after negotiating the parliamentary numbers and receiving commission from the Governor of New South Wales. The transition involved ministerial appointments drawing on MPs from seats such as Liverpool and Cabramatta, and administrative handovers with agencies including the NSW Treasury and Health Infrastructure NSW. The Coalition underwent leadership changes within the New South Wales Liberals and the Nationals NSW, prompting internal reviews and preselection battles in electorates like Epping and Orange. Crossbench negotiations in the Legislative Council focused on committee memberships and legislation pathways for priorities such as integrity reforms and metropolitan planning commissions.
Analysts from the Grattan Institute, commentators at the Australian Financial Review, and political scientists from universities including the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales assessed the election as a shift driven by metropolitan swings, demographic changes in suburbs like Ryde and Strathfield, and policy salience on housing affordability and transport corridors like the M2. The result influenced federal calculations for the 2024 Australian federal election cycle, affecting strategies of parties such as the Australian Labor Party at national level and prompting policy repositioning by the Liberal Party of Australia and the National Party of Australia. The expanded crossbench in the Legislative Council heightened the role of minor parties and independents in legislative negotiations on issues touching the Sydney Opera House precinct, regional water allocations affecting the Murray–Darling Basin debate, and future infrastructure programs such as proposed extensions to the Sydney Metro City & Southwest.
Category:State elections in New South Wales Category:2023 elections in Australia