Entrance voters batter Greiner

By Steve Painter

SYDNEY — The 5% swing against the Liberal NSW government of Nick Greiner in the January 18 Entrance by-election confirms the result of last May's general election: working people around the state are angry with the conservative government's policies, particularly its service cuts and attacks on the union movement and democratic rights.

The result ties up the state parliament, with the Liberals and Labor holding 47 seats each, while independents have five. Reflecting widespread disillusionment with all parties, three states (WA, SA, NSW) are run by minority governments, while the Tasmanian government has gone to a general election in an attempt to break its long-standing deadlock with the Liberal opposition and Green Independents.

In NSW, the Liberals will remain the government by virtue of an agreement that the independents will not move a no-confidence vote. But Labor, as well as the Liberals, will now be able to pass legislation in the lower house with independent support.

The by-election was necessary after irregularities in the ballot for the seat last May, in which Liberal Bob Graham was elected by a very narrow margin. Several hundred voters were wrongly excluded from the count, and a Labor Party court challenge eventually secured the new vote. Labor will need preferences to push it over 50%.

Reflecting intense campaigning by the Liberal and Labor parties, votes for other candidates were down, the Democrat candidate polling 2.1%, while an environmentalist independent, Peter Clifford, won just under 2%. The overall swing to Labor was 6%, with 1% of this coming from independents and minor parties.

From GLW issue 40