I disagree with your analysis to the extent that the Liberals, if anything, will have a mandate to govern effectively for all NSW citizens. That is will have to be their future focus.
Their election is a clear message for Unions NSW and the Labor heavies in Sussex to butt out. Their control of the parliamentary party was so absolute that they are now the party of dysfunction. Their refusal to allow effective government has cost NSW about $50 billion in lost privatisation opportunities. I hope that they never get to govern again.
The challenge for the Liberals will be to consolidate and do whatever is needed to to a real 'party of government' and not be reliant on Labor to continually implode. This is O'Farrell's big challenge.
The Liberals will also have a mandate not to imitate this excuse of a failed government. If they ever do, I will waiting to tip them out.
2
Saturday, 26 March 2011 04:10
Rob Anderson
I also disagree with your "lack of mandate" thesis. If the Coalition does as expected and wins a clear majority of seats, then they have clearly won the right to govern as they see fit. Any squeals of protest from the ALP remnant will be seen as sour grapes from a discredited group that most people were glad to get rid of. No one is going to pay much attention to State Labor for quite some time, and I feel Barry and his crew are likely to have a long honeymoon!
I can see a major theme of Barry's for the next term as highlighting and emphasising what went wrong under the ALP. And he is going to have a LOT of ammunition to fire back at Labor. If he gets a bucketload of seats, governs sensibly and can pin any NSW woes on the previous incumbents, then I think he can comfortably look forward to at least 8 years in power.
Disclaimer: I have never been a political party member, and I voted for an indepedent in a "safe" ALP seat.
3
Saturday, 26 March 2011 04:13
Francis Young
Graham, I'm afraid I also disagree with the mantra that the incoming Liberals will not have a mandate.
Among others, they will have a mandate to (a) expose any inappropriate dealings of the outgoing 16-year regime, and reassess and develop the good ones; (b) see what can be salvaged of our electricity infrastructure (c) prioritise and start to rectify the transport, water and health shortfalls, including Macquarie's exploitation of Sydney airport, the overdue lowering of Newcastle's three CBD railway stations into a cut-and-cover tunnel, and reactivating several dam construction projects ahead of the next El Nino cycle; (d) maximise the benefits to NSW of the NBN and other federally funded projects; (e) capitalise on the public opposition to a carbon tax, which would impact our state's most valuable revenue source.
And there is much more, but in summary, every criticism of the departing crowd is an issue for whose reversal the coalition now most certainly has a mandate.
4
Saturday, 26 March 2011 06:52
Pip Denton
Mandate or not, there's a new Sherriff in town!
Labor are paying the price for (among other things)never admitting to damn near bankrupting the state to produce a perfect two weeks for the Olympics! Kristina Keneally took a poisoned chalice and has dealt with it with a degree of grace and charm; Barry O'Farrell is a very smart man and - tho I don't like his party - I have a sneaking respect for him. He's got a lotta work ahead to try and salvage something from the ruins...
5
Saturday, 26 March 2011 12:21
Mary Sharah
Labor is paying the price for allowing a cabal of dishonest sneaks interested in feathering their own nests to control the party.
They have brought the Federal party into disrepute by association.
They are now the remains of a rump and serves them right.
I only hope that most of the truly self serving ones are gone.
Barry O'Farrell didn't look much good tonight when he was unable to give a serious interview to the ABC.
Had he nothing to say?
NSW should get more for their vote than this, when we all know that Liberal is also a divided party.
6
Sunday, 27 March 2011 05:00
graham
Hi, what I mean in my "mandate" comment is that O'Farrell is going to have to justify most of what is likely to be his agenda because he's won this election because Labor had to go, rather than because people wanted him. I think the comments above exemplify this.
Of course his margin is so huge that he's certainly empowered to be the government, and if I were him I'd govern courageously. But I think it's important for the Libs that they don't get carried away thinking that people voted for them because they loved them. You could easily end-up with another arrogant administration that way.
And I think it's important for Labor to understand it's not necessarily what they should stand for that was rejected, but what they had become.
7
Sunday, 27 March 2011 14:37
Anonymous
Fatty O'Barrell and the Liberal Party may have won the majority of seats in the lower house but the big question is "Who will get control in the upper house?". Hopefully the Liberals will have a minority in the Upper House so that the minor parties can keep the Liberals under control.
There is only one problem with the NSW Liberals that I can see: Fatty O'Barrell looks up to Kennett & Greiner as his role models.
Don't forget what happened to Victoria when the Kennett Liberal government was elected. And the Greiner government lost to Labor for very good reasons.
It has taken a new generation who don't know what the Liberals really stand for to make a change of government and make the Labor Party see the error of their ways.
8
Friday, 08 April 2011 07:15
Rob Anderson
Hi Graham - I see what you mean, and Mr O'Farrell is certainly empowered to govern after this crushing win. But for any government to govern well and long, they have to continue to justify their agenda and I think it is important for ANY government to not get carried away thinking that the people love them. This has been a common problem for many governments in Australia & around the western world, whether they got in by a hair's breadth or a landslide.
Good luck with the research - its always interesting!
Their election is a clear message for Unions NSW and the Labor heavies in Sussex to butt out. Their control of the parliamentary party was so absolute that they are now the party of dysfunction. Their refusal to allow effective government has cost NSW about $50 billion in lost privatisation opportunities. I hope that they never get to govern again.
The challenge for the Liberals will be to consolidate and do whatever is needed to to a real 'party of government' and not be reliant on Labor to continually implode. This is O'Farrell's big challenge.
The Liberals will also have a mandate not to imitate this excuse of a failed government. If they ever do, I will waiting to tip them out.
I can see a major theme of Barry's for the next term as highlighting and emphasising what went wrong under the ALP. And he is going to have a LOT of ammunition to fire back at Labor. If he gets a bucketload of seats, governs sensibly and can pin any NSW woes on the previous incumbents, then I think he can comfortably look forward to at least 8 years in power.
Disclaimer: I have never been a political party member, and I voted for an indepedent in a "safe" ALP seat.
Among others, they will have a mandate to (a) expose any inappropriate dealings of the outgoing 16-year regime, and reassess and develop the good ones; (b) see what can be salvaged of our electricity infrastructure (c) prioritise and start to rectify the transport, water and health shortfalls, including Macquarie's exploitation of Sydney airport, the overdue lowering of Newcastle's three CBD railway stations into a cut-and-cover tunnel, and reactivating several dam construction projects ahead of the next El Nino cycle; (d) maximise the benefits to NSW of the NBN and other federally funded projects; (e) capitalise on the public opposition to a carbon tax, which would impact our state's most valuable revenue source.
And there is much more, but in summary, every criticism of the departing crowd is an issue for whose reversal the coalition now most certainly has a mandate.
Labor are paying the price for (among other things)never admitting to damn near bankrupting the state to produce a perfect two weeks for the Olympics! Kristina Keneally took a poisoned chalice and has dealt with it with a degree of grace and charm; Barry O'Farrell is a very smart man and - tho I don't like his party - I have a sneaking respect for him. He's got a lotta work ahead to try and salvage something from the ruins...
They have brought the Federal party into disrepute by association.
They are now the remains of a rump and serves them right.
I only hope that most of the truly self serving ones are gone.
Barry O'Farrell didn't look much good tonight when he was unable to give a serious interview to the ABC.
Had he nothing to say?
NSW should get more for their vote than this, when we all know that Liberal is also a divided party.
Of course his margin is so huge that he's certainly empowered to be the government, and if I were him I'd govern courageously. But I think it's important for the Libs that they don't get carried away thinking that people voted for them because they loved them. You could easily end-up with another arrogant administration that way.
And I think it's important for Labor to understand it's not necessarily what they should stand for that was rejected, but what they had become.
There is only one problem with the NSW Liberals that I can see: Fatty O'Barrell looks up to Kennett & Greiner as his role models.
Don't forget what happened to Victoria when the Kennett Liberal government was elected. And the Greiner government lost to Labor for very good reasons.
It has taken a new generation who don't know what the Liberals really stand for to make a change of government and make the Labor Party see the error of their ways.
Good luck with the research - its always interesting!