National reconstruction fund secures crossbench support – as it happened

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Pesutto gives no answer on if Deeming can continue to promote anti-trans views as part of Liberals

But John Pesutto also can’t answer whether Moira Deeming can continue to campaign against trans rights – a stance Deeming had before she was in the parliament and a key feature of her first speech to the Victorian parliament.

Look, what what I have always said from the very start, is that as leader of the Victorian Liberal party, I want public debate not just in the state but nationally, to be respectful and civil and courteous, and to be inclusive so that people can participate in discussions.

I am a supporter of free speech, but any connection of the Liberal party with people who share platforms with people who are extremely … people in hate speech is a concern to me and will never be acceptable in the party.

Well, I’m not happy with those tweets, and they’re very great concern and will represent if that continues, it will obviously represent a real problem going forward for Moira to return the [party].

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NSW Labor sweats on possibility of minority government as jostle for Liberal leadership begins

Incoming Minns government will have an interim cabinet sworn in as counting continues in key seats

The rival left and right factions of the New South Wales Liberals look set to face off in a contest over who becomes the state’s next opposition leader, as the incoming Labor government sweats on a handful of undecided seats to see whether it will govern in a majority.

As counting resumed on Monday, Labor’s chances of forming majority government in the new parliament were in the balance after the inclusion of pre-poll votes saw it fall behind in the seat of Terrigal on the state’s central coast.

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Dominic Perrottet, Matt Kean and the lure of Canberra: what next for NSW power duo?

While Kean has ambitions to move into federal politics, the outgoing premier’s friends say the more likely direction for him is business

Could Dominic Perrottet and his former treasurer Matt Kean continue their double act as the moderate-right New South Wales power duo in Canberra?

Kean has made no secret of his ambition to move to federal politics and on Sunday ruled out contending for the leadership of the NSW opposition, further fuelling speculation.

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Australia politics live: Howard says Labor’s dominance won’t last long; emissions bill haggling down to the wire

The government is yet to strike a deal that will get its safeguard mechanism bill through the upper house. Follow the day’s politics live

Paul Fletcher won’t answer the question of whether or not he will run again in Bradfield.

He is dancing around this question like he is auditioning for the new Fred Astaire biopic. (Tom Holland has the role, and anyone who has seen his Umbrella dance will know why.)

I continue to consider serving the people of Bradfield to be an enormous privilege and … any rational politician always considers what they’re going to do as you come to the end of each term.

I’ve done that before the end of each past term, but what I can tell you is it’s an honour to serve the people of Bradfield. I continue to be committed to it, energetic in doing, so I spent most of Saturday across a whole range of polling booths engaging with my constituents. I enjoyed it. I found it energising, and I believe that the Liberal party has a very important role in serving the people of Australia and certainly in serving the people of Bradfield and that’s something I’m committed to.

I think the first point is that after three terms and 12 years, inevitably, it becomes harder to win a fourth term.

It’s the nature of our democracy of Australian democracy that the electorate starts to look for alternatives.

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NSW election trends: a decisive Labor win, uneven swings and a large crossbench

Progressive shift in upper house possible while vote for minor parties and independents reaches record levels in election more definitive than expected

The New South Wales state election result was a resounding defeat for the Liberal-National Coalition government, and a clear victory for Labor. Yet this victory occurred in an environment of an increasing minor party and independent vote, and the largest crossbench in modern NSW history.

In some ways there were a lot of parallels with last year’s federal election result. A slim parliamentary majority alongside a large crossbench, with the outgoing government badly defeated. But this Labor victory was bigger than last year’s federal election result, and Labor managed to pick up a number of regional seats in addition to gains in urban areas.

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Matt Kean rules himself out of NSW Liberal leadership amid speculation about federal move

Widely touted frontrunner to replace Dominic Perrottet says he wants to spend more time with family after NSW election loss

The outgoing treasurer and leading party moderate, Matt Kean, has ruled out contesting the New South Wales Liberal leadership, amid speculation he is considering a federal move.

Kean’s announcement on Sunday evening leaves Alister Henskens, the sports minister and member for the blue ribbon seat of Wahroonga, as the current frontrunner for the leadership.

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Australia news live updates: Minn vows to ‘govern for everybody’ after NSW election win; arrest at Sydney anti-abortion protest

Labor win marks Coalition’s declining power around the country; woman held for breaching the peace at rally that began at St Mary’s Cathedral. Follow all the day’s news

Speers asks what will happen if the voice feels like its advice has not been sought out – will it be able to go to the high court?

Dreyfus says it is a possibility.

Again, I point to the third paragraph of these words, David, which puts beyond doubt the power of the parliament to regulate how that is to happen. And the reason why those words are there are to make sure that we’re going to have certainty, we’re going to know how this is going to operate.

I‘m hoping that it does. I’m hoping. Because we’ve seen from experience that when members of parliament, government departments, do listen to Aboriginal communities, we get better outcomes.

… You can point to examples right across the board where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are listened to, we get better policies, we get better laws. When they’re not listened to, we end up wasting a great deal of money and we end up with failed policies, and it is all too many failed policies that we can point to over recent decades.

That’s a misunderstanding of what this constitutional provision does. What this constitutional provision does is to set up permanently an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice to parliament at executive, and the power that’s given to the voice is to make representations.

Of course we’re going to need to make sure that there’s, at a mechanical level, the ability for the voice to make representations, but it’s not that – as has been suggested and as your question suggested – there will be some requirement for government departments to be going off and seeking that advice.

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NSW election 2023 live results: polls have closed and votes are now being counted after Dominic Perrottet and Chris Minns made final pitches – latest news

Premier casts vote in seat of Epping and Labor leader says he is ‘feeling optimistic’ as party hopes to return to power after 12 years in opposition

Dominic Perrottet has given some more expansive comments after voting a short time ago in his seat of Epping. He and Labor leader Chris Minns spoke last night, exchanging text messages and wishing each other good luck.

Here’s some more from the premier:

It’s a real honour to serve the people of New South Wales. There’s a lot at stake in this election. I will be working hard all day.

It’s not about the Liberal or National party. Ultimately, elections are about our people. My team has the plan to deal with the challenges of today, but we’re all wanting to set up the state for the children.

Our party has been here for 12 years, it’s transformed New South Wales. We were the worst performing economy, the state had stalled. We’ve turned that around. We’ve built schools and hospitals, the motorways have transformed people’s lives. But it’s all about the future and where we go from here. I believe my team has the plan, the experience, energy and ideas to take the state forward.

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NSW election: Labor’s pledges on domestic violence could affect existing services, PBO warns

Parliamentary Budget Office raises concerns that rollout of programs could lead to cutting of initiatives by Legal Aid and police

Labor’s domestic violence election commitments could “affect the delivery of some services” by Legal Aid and New South Wales police, the independent body charged with analysing the cost of both major parties’ promises has warned.

Labor has made a series of commitments on domestic violence in the lead-up to the state election including funds for a pilot program for specialist sexual violence police in a handful of local areas and the extension of a series of court-advocacy programs.

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Seats to watch: the NSW election is likely to come down to these key electorates

It looks like being close. The Coalition faces threats on a number of fronts but Labor’s path to victory is uncertain

The New South Wales state election on Saturday shapes as the closest in 16 years. The Coalition government, already in minority, is fighting to hold on after a series of scandals, high-profile resignations and a creaking economy.

It faces threats on a number of fronts: from Labor in Sydney’s west and in the south of the state; and from a clutch of teal and independent candidates in the city’s east.

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MP says ‘we as NSW Liberals support asset recycling’ despite premier’s pledge to end privatisation

Exclusive: Felicity Wilson later told the Guardian a reelected Perrottet government would not privatise more assets

Felicity Wilson, the Liberal MP for the North Shore, has told voters a New South Wales Coalition government would continue asset recycling, spruiking the benefits of privatisation to pay for metro lines, healthcare and schools.

The comments made last Thursday at a candidate forum run contradictory to the premier’s promise not to sell off any more of the state’s assets and come amid political attacks from Labor asserting more privatisations would take place under a reelected Perrottet government.

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Teals and independents are fighting hard to win a seat in the NSW parliament. Have they done enough?

Three-horse races and optional preferential voting making calling seats ahead of Saturday’s state election a risky wager

Michael Regan, the independent running for the New South Wales seat of Wakehurst, has told staff he wants his to be the first seat called by the ABC’s election analyst, Antony Green, on Saturday night.

By that he means he wants to emulate the blistering win of the independent Zali Steggall, who scored a second term in the overlapping federal seat of Warringah in 2022 with more than 50% of the primary vote.

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NSW Liberals accuse Minerals Council of feeding poll data that undermines Matt Kean to the media

Government source says people were asked questions such as ‘do you agree Matt Kean is responsible for pushing up energy prices?’

The Perrottet government has accused the New South Wales Minerals Council of feeding data to the media to undermine the Coalition in its battle to limit losses in closely contested seats.

Sky News Australia on Tuesday and Wednesday cited unnamed “industry polling” as pointing to big swings away from the Coalition in three key seats and in Hornsby, a safe seat held by the treasurer, Matt Kean. It did not cite other details such as the polling size or the questions asked.

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Dominic Perrottet denies he called health minister to get faster ambulance response for his sick wife

NSW premier says he wasn’t looking for special treatment and doesn’t know if the commissioner personally ordered an ambulance

Premier Dominic Perrottet has denied he called health minister Brad Hazzard in order to receive a faster ambulance response for his sick wife.

Perrottet was grilled on Sky News over a call he made to Hazzard, who was with Ambulance Commissioner Dr Dominic Morgan which resulted in an ambulance being sent to his house.

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Two arrested as mob sets upon protesters outside Mark Latham event in Sydney

Rainbow rights group says peaceful protesters were set upon outside a Catholic church in Belfield

A gay and LGBTI rights group says a group attacked peaceful protesters outside a Catholic church in south-west Sydney, where One Nation’s Mark Latham was giving a speech.

Community Action for Rainbow Rights said on Twitter that as they were protesting outside St Michael’s church hall in Belfield, a mob set upon the protesters.

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NSW Labor labelled ‘amateurs’ by Perrottet after analysis shows election policy risks budget blowout

Chris Minns defends promise to scrap public sector wages cap as party leaders scramble in final week of NSW election campaigning

The New South Wales opposition leader, Chris Minns, has been forced to defend the cost of his signature wages policy after the state’s independent budget analysis agency noted “significant risks” of a blowout.

In a frantic final week of campaigning that has seen Dominic Perrottet set out on a two-day tour through the state’s south, focus has shifted to Labor’s promise to scrap the Coalition’s longstanding public sector wages cap.

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NSW election: Legalise Cannabis eyeing an upper house seat in bid to overturn drug-driving law

Pollster says it’s a crowded progressive micro-party market, but some high-profile donors are backing the party’s campaign

When Antony Zbik was handed a “life-changing” medical cannabis prescription almost six years ago, he did not realise it would also rob him of his freedom.

While the treatment helped the 38-year-old with crippling pain caused by fibromyalgia, it also forced him to move back home and become reliant on his parents to drive him around.

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Timid NSW transport policies show Labor and the Coalition have taken their feet off the accelerator

No matter who wins the election, the task of tackling clogged roads and Sydney’s tolling mess will be immense

Sydney has been treated to a boom in public transport and road construction over the past decade, but the so far timid transport policies of the New South Wales election raise concerns the foot is coming off the accelerator.

The main policy differences to emerge between the Coalition and Labor surround how each side plans to expand the metro network westwards, Band-Aid solutions to address the cost of commuting through Sydney’s tolling mess and support for a contentious tunnel.

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Chris Minns says documents show Liberals considered privatising parts of Sydney Water

Labor to start final week of NSW election campaign by continuing pursuit of Perrottet government over its privatisation record

Documents canvassing the possible partial privatisation of a Sydney Water asset were compiled at the request of the New South Wales Treasury department, which the state Labor opposition will rely on to argue that the government was contemplating a broader sell-off of the asset.

Chris Minns will mark the start of the NSW election campaign’s final week on Sunday by continuing his pursuit of the Coalition over its record on privatisation, seeking to use documents compiled by the consultancy firm KPMG to argue that the premier, Dominic Perrottet, directed the public service to investigate a possible sale.

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‘It’s Up to Us’: squeezed by the housing crisis, a NSW rural community finds its own solution

After raising $350K, a group of Bega electorate residents provided temporary units for locals, but long-term investment is needed to provide more permanent accommodation

About two years ago, Michael Brosnan decided he could no longer wait for the government to act on the housing crisis.

As more and more people were squeezed into homelessness in his community on the far south coast of New South Wales, he and other locals decided to start a fundraiser.

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