2007 New South Wales state election

April 2022 State election for New South Wales, Australia in March 2007 June 2020 2007 New South Wales state election New South Wales parliamentary no 2003 New South Wales state election 2003 2011 New South Wales state election 2011 All 93 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assemblyand 21 (of the 42) seats in the New South Wales Legislative Council47 Assembly seats were needed for a majority yes 2007 03 24 MorrisIemma.jpg 130 130 170 10 0 center Morris Iemma 3 August 2005 Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch) Lakemba 1,535,872 38.87% 3.81 55 seats 53 seats 52 seats 1 PeterDebnamAtANZACCeremonySydney26042006.jpg 130 130 170 0 0 center Peter Debnam 1 September 2005 Liberal/National coalition Liberal/National coalition Vaucluse 1,457,296 36.99% 2.64 32 seats 30 seats 35 seats 5 TPP 52.26% 47.74% TPP swing 3.92 3.92 2007 New South Wales state election.svg 340px Two-candidate-preferred margin by electorate Premier Morris Iemma Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch) Elected Premier Morris Iemma Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch) The 2007 New South Wales state election was held on Saturday, 24 March 2007. The entire Legislative Assembly and half of the Legislative Council was up for election. The Labor Party led by Morris Iemma won a fourth four-year term against the Liberal–National coalition led by Peter Debnam. Labor's majority survived the election almost intact going from a 13 seat majority prior to the election to a marginally decreased 11 seat majority. The Liberals succeeded in taking two independent-held seats and one Labor-held seat, whilst the Nationals and an independent each took one Labor-held seat. This would be NSW Labor's last state election win until 2023. It also remains the most recent contest in which NSW Labor formed a majority government. Campaign New South Wales state election campaign, 2007 Labor, running on the slogan "More to do, but we're heading in the right direction," heavily outspent the Liberals, whose slogan was "Let's fix NSW." Though water and infrastructure emerged as key issues in the campaign, much of the parties' advertising focused on the negatives: Debnam's business record and Labor's record in office. The media concluded that the choice facing voters was in finding the lesser of two evils: the three major newspapers sold in New South Wales endorsed Debnam, though not without criticising his ineptitude on the campaign trail. The result was widely perceived as a foregone conclusion, with opposition leader Peter Debnam conceding as much the week before the poll. Opinion polls consistently put Labor ahead in terms of voting intention and preferred premier. The ALP would eventually lose government at the next election in a landslide defeat in 2011. There has been a view that the party would have suffered a less severe defeat if it had lost government at the 2007 election.http://inside.org.au/how-labor-lost-new-south-wales/ How Labor lost New South Wales 29 April 2012 Electoral system Electoral systems of the Australian states and territories#New South Wales The New South Wales Legislative Assembly has 93 members elected for four-year terms using instant-runoff voting, a form of preferential voting. The voting system is the same as for the Australian House of Representatives except that New South Wales has optional preferential voting. This means that while voters may number every candidate if they wish, their vote is still formal if they choose not to. They may vote for one candidate only, or for as many candidates as they choose, provided that they number them in correct sequence. The New South Wales Legislative Council has 42 members who serve eight year terms, one-half of the body being elected every four years. The Council uses the Single Transferable Vote method, a form of preferential voting for use with proportional representation. As for the Assembly, the numbering of preferences is optional. After each election, the Governor of New South Wales, appoints a member of the Legislative Assembly to the position of Premier of New South Wales. By convention, the party leader with the largest bloc of votes in the Assembly, is chosen. Legislative Assembly Government is formed in the Legislative Assembly, the lower house of Parliament. The seats for this election resulted from the boundary redistribution conducted in 2004, which did not change the number of seats notionally held by each party. Pendulum Post-election pendulum for the New South Wales state election, 2003 Post-election pendulum for the New South Wales state election, 2007 A majority being 47 seats, the Labor Party had to lose eight seats (a uniform swing of 8.7%) to lose its majority, and the Liberal–National coalition had to gain 16 seats to gain a majority. Had the Liberal–National coalition gained at least one seat from an independent, a uniform swing of 11.6% would have been sufficient. Otherwise, the necessary uniform swing required would have been 12.3%. Swings of this size are rare in New South Wales politics. The swings required for the opposing party to take each of the Assembly's 93 seats are often illustrated by means of a Mackerras pendulum. Marginal seats (pre-election) The following seats were described as marginal (i.e. those with a two-candidate preferred margin of 6% or less) by psephologists Malcolm Mackerras and Antony Green after the 2005 redistribution. Seat MP Party Margin Seat MP Party Margin Orange Russell Turner National 5.9% Clarence Steve Cansdell National 5.3% Bega Andrew Constance Liberal 4.7% Pittwater Alex McTaggartTwo-candidate preferred result against Liberal Party Independent 5.4% Goulburn Peta SeatonSeaton represented the now-abolished seat of Southern Highlands Liberal 4.5% Wollondilly New seat Labor 4.6% Hornsby Judy Hopwood Liberal 4.2% Monaro Steve Whan Labor 4.4% Baulkham Hills Wayne Merton Liberal 4.0% Tweed Neville Newell Labor 4.0% Lane Cove Anthony Roberts Liberal 2.8% Tamworth Peter DraperTwo-candidate preferred result against National Party Independent 1.9% South Coast Shelley Hancock Liberal 1.6% Manly David Barr Independent 1.2% Murray-Darling Peter BlackNotional National Party seat Labor -1.3% Dubbo Dawn Fardell Independent 0.3% TerrigalSeat formerly known as Gosford Chris Hartcher Liberal 0.6% Results Results of the 2007 New South Wales state election (Legislative Assembly) 4374029 File:2007 NSW Legislative Assembly.svg 112152 1.04 0.14 Labor #f00011 1535872 3.81 52 1 Liberal #080cab 1061273 2.14 22 4 National #008000 396023 0.39 13 1 Greens #10c25b 352805 0.68 0 Independents 361866 0.97 6 3 Christian Democrats #800080 97420 0.74 0 Unity #cd5700 43292 0.20 0 Democrats 21099 0.40 0 Others 81927 0.77 0 y Two-party-preferred Labor #f00011 1788142 3.92 Liberal/National #05557c 1633381 3.92 NSW Elections - 2007 Results {{bar box|float=right|title=Popular vote|titlebar = var(--background-color-interactive)|width=600px|barwidth=410px|bars= Labor Australian Labor Party 38.98 Liberal Liberal Party of Australia 26.94 National National Party of Australia 10.05 Independent Independent (politician) 9.18 Greens Australian Greens 8.95 Christian Democrats Christian Democratic Party (Australia) 2.47 Unity #cd5700 0.90 Democrats Australian Democrats 0.54 Others #303030 1.99 #ddd Two-party-preferred vote Labor Australian Labor Party 52.26 Coalition Coalition (Australia) 47.74 #ddd Parliamentary seats Labor Australian Labor Party 55.91 Liberal Liberal Party of Australia 23.66 National National Party of Australia 13.98 Independent Independent (politician) 6.45 }} Legislative Council Results of the 2007 New South Wales state election (Legislative Council) 4374029 247921 0.78 0.77 File:2007 NSW Legislative Council.svg Not up Seats won Seats Total Labor #f00011 1491719 4.40 10 9 19 Liberal/National Coalition #05557c 1304166 0.92 7 8 15 Greens #10c25b 347548 0.52 2 2 4 Christian Democrats 168545 1.39 1 1 2 Shooters 106513 0.74 1 1 2 Democrats 67994 0.21 0 0 0 Against Further Immigration 62386 0.74 0 0 0 Fishing #00ffff 58340 1.53 0 0 0 Unity 46053 0.21 0 0 0 Restore Workers' Rights #ff0000 35218 New 0 0 0 Others 122763 * 0 0 0 The Legislative Council, elected by proportional representation, operates as a house of review in the New South Wales parliament. It is rare for parties or coalitions to secure a majority in this house. The count was completed and results for the Legislative Council declared on 10 April. The Liberal and National parties ran a joint Legislative Council ticket, winning 5 seats for the Liberals and 3 seats for the Nationals and bringing the parties' totals to 10 and 5 respectively. Electoral changes made after the 1999 election, which saw seats go to so-called microparties through elaborate preference deals, meant that both the major party groups made gains in the 2007 election. The Labor Party with 39.1% of the vote gained 1 seat, to win 9, whilst the Liberal and National Parties with 34.2% gained 1 seat each to make a combined gain of 2, thereby winning 8 seats. The effect of this outcome is that Labor now holds 19 out of 42 council seats, just 3 short of a majority, whilst the Coalition holds 15 seats. The Greens achieved a primary vote of 9.1%, an increase from their result in the 2003 election. This has allowed them to win 2 seats (1 additional seat), bringing their total to 4 seats. This result appears to put them in a favourable position, in which they can exercise the parliamentary balance of power, and potentially provide the Labor government with the necessary majority to get legislation through the upper chamber of Parliament. Fred Nile's Christian Democratic Party (CDP) achieved 4.4% of the vote (↑1.4%), allowing Nile to retain his seat, and keeping the CDP's representation at 2 seats. The Shooters Party won the remaining seat, on 2.8% of the vote, thereby increasing their representation to 2 seats. The losers from the 2007 election were the Australian Democrats, Unity Party, Outdoor Recreation Party (ORP), Human Rights Party (HRP) (formerly Reform the Legal System Party) and One Nation. These five parties lost their single remaining parliamentary seat, which they had won in 1999. The Australian Democrats and Unity Party polled less than 2%, ORP and HRP polled well below 1%, whilst neither One Nation, nor their former representative-turned-Independent, David Oldfield, contested the 2007 election. Seats changing hands Seat Pre-2007 Swing Post-2007 Party Member Margin Margin Member Party Port Stephens  Labor John Bartlett 7.2 -7.3 0.1 Craig Baumann Liberal  Manly  Independent David Barr 1.2 -4.6 3.4 Mike Baird Liberal  Murray-DarlingIn 2003, Labor won Murray Darling on a 6.7% margin, however the subsequent redistribution made it notionally National. Labor officially lost the seat at the 2007 election.  Labor Peter Black -1.3 -8.8 10.1 John Williams National  Tweed  Labor Neville Newell 4.0 -7.1 3.0 Geoff Provest National  PittwaterPittwater was won by an independent in a 2005 by-election and the shown swing is based on it. At the 2003 election it was won by the Liberals.  Independent Alex McTaggart 5.4 -14.8 9.4 Rob Stokes Liberal  HawkesburyIn 2003, Hawkesbury was won by Steve Pringle, representing the Liberals on a 14.6% margin against Labor. In 2006, he defected from the Liberals to become an independent.  Independent Steven Pringle N/A -8.6 6.0 Ray Williams Liberal  Lake Macquarie  Labor Jeff Hunter 11.6 -11.7 0.1 Greg Piper Independent  NewcastleIn 2006, Gaudry was disendorsed by the Labor Party State executive and in January 2007, Gaudry resigned as a member of Labor and ran as an independent.  Independent Bryce Gaudry N/A -14.2 1.2 Jodi McKay Labor Members whose names are in italics retired at the election. High-profile seats Sydney 150px|thumb|Mike Baird (Liberal) who became NSW Premier in 2014 was first elected in 2007 for the seat of Manly Balmain, in Sydney's inner-western suburbs, was with Marrickville one of two seats considered potentially winnable for the Greens. Labor incumbent Verity Firth suffered a 2.9% primary and 3.2% two-candidate preferred swing against the Greens, to finish on 39.2% and 53.8% respectively. The Liberals held on to Hawkesbury despite an independent challenge from Steven Pringle, the disendorsed Liberal incumbent. Pringle won 28.0% of the primary vote, at the expense of Labor and other independent candidates. Liberal candidate Ray Williams saw his primary vote dip by just 1.0%. In Macquarie Fields, high-profile Liberal candidate Nola Fraser achieved a 12% swing in two-party-preferred terms compared to the 2003 poll. The incumbent, Labor's Steven Chaytor, had bowed out of the contest after being convicted for assaulting his girlfriend. Local issues such as hospital scandals and the 2005 Macquarie Fields riots may have also contributed to the high Liberal vote. Labor candidate Andrew McDonald won Macquarie Fields comfortably. The Liberals won Manly from the independents for the first time since the 1980s. Sitting MP David Barr lost to future Premier Mike Baird, who increased the Liberals' primary vote by 4.4%. In the very safe Labor seat of Blacktown Liberal candidate Mark Spencer managed to gain a higher than average swing against incumbent Paul Gibson who then retired at the next election. Marrickville, in Sydney's inner west, was with Balmain the other seat considered potentially winnable for the Greens. Labor's Carmel Tebbutt suffered a 1.1% primary and 2.6% two-candidate preferred swing against the Greens, to finish on 46.6% and 57.5% respectively. Tebbutt won the seat in a 2005 by-election after quitting the Legislative Council, and is a senior member of the party's left wing and has a strong personal following in the area. The Liberals lost Pittwater to independent Alex McTaggart at a by-election called after the resignation of John Brogden. The Liberals' Rob Stokes won the seat back on primaries, taking 50.5% of the vote. Rural and regional Independent Dubbo MP Dawn Fardell fought off a challenge from the Nationals to retain her seat. The Nationals lost ground slightly, but the seat remains one of the state's most marginal. Star Liberal candidate Pru Goward beat off a tough fight in Goulburn with independent candidate Paul Stephenson capturing a quarter of the vote. Goward was helped by the Nationals' decision not to run in the seat but both Labor and the Coalition lost ground. Allegations surfaced during the campaign that Labor was assisting Stephenson's campaign. Independent Greg Piper won the safe seat of Lake Macquarie from Labor's Jeff Hunter. Labor and the Liberals lost 10.4% and 15.7% of their primary vote respectively. Sitting Labor MP Bryce Gaudry chose to stand as an independent after being disendorsed by his party in the seat of Newcastle. Gaudry and another independent, John Tate, both outpolled the Greens and the Liberals. Labor's Jodi McKay suffered a 17.1% swing against her but won the seat on preferences. Port Stephens Incumbent Labor MP John Bartlett retired at this election. The Liberals' Craig Baumann added 8.7% to his party's primary vote in the seat to outpoll Labor, and narrowly defeat ALP candidate Jim Arneman. The Labor member for Swansea, Milton Orkopoulos, resigned from parliament after being charged with a number of child-sex and drug offenses. An expected backlash against the ALP materialised in the form of an 11.3% swing, with independent candidate Laurie Coghlan the main beneficiary. Nonetheless, Labor candidate Robert Coombs was able to hold the seat with a comfortable majority. Tweed, Labor's most marginal seat, fell to the Nationals' Geoff Provest. Labor incumbent Neville Newell had previously served two terms (six years) in the federal seat of Richmond before his two terms (eight years) in the State Parliament. A swing of 7.8% meant that the seat changed from being a marginal seat for Labor to a National Party marginal. The Liberals lost primary votes in the seat of Wyong, bucking the statewide swing to the party. The Liberals had disendorsed candidate Brenton Pavier after details emerged of a sex joke he had sent to friends via SMS. The Liberals' new candidate, Ben Morton, managed a 5.4% swing in two-party-preferred terms, not enough to take victory from Labor candidate David Harris. Incumbent Labor MP Paul Crittenden retired at the election. High profile candidates Dawn Fraser, a champion swimmer, headed her own independent ticket for the Legislative Council, but was unsuccessful in getting elected. Pru Goward, a former federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner, won Goulburn for the Liberals Mamdouh Habib, a former Guantanamo Bay detention camp inmate, ran as an independent in Auburn Phil Koperberg, the state's Rural Fire Service chief, won Blue Mountains for Labor Jodi McKay, a former NBN Television newsreader, won Newcastle for Labor June Dally Watkins, head of the eponymous deportment school, was a Legislative Council candidate for the Christian Democrats Retiring A number of MPs did not seek re-election in 2007. Liberal MPs Andrew Tink (Epping) and Peta Seaton, (Southern Highlands) retired. Andrew Humpherson (Davidson) lost preselection and did not contest his seat. Nationals MP Ian Slack-Smith (Barwon) also retired. The Labor MPs retiring at the 2007 election were John Bartlett (Port Stephens), Paul Crittenden (Wyong), John Mills (Wallsend), Sandra Nori (Port Jackson), John Price (Maitland) and Kim Yeadon (Granville). Steven Chaytor (Macquarie Fields) and Milton Orkopoulos (Swansea), each arrested for violent crimes in late 2006, pulled out of the election. Carl Scully (Smithfield), dumped from the ministry for misleading parliament, chose not to recontest his seat. Attorney-General Bob Debus (Blue Mountains) did not seek re-election, in anticipation of a move to federal politics. See also Candidates of the 2007 New South Wales state election References Category:Elections in New South Wales New South Wales state election election New South Wales state election