Gladys Berejiklian 'open to crossbench deal' to form government after historic win
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says she is open to dealing with the crossbench to form government as her coalition teeters on the edge of winning a majority.
The coalition on Saturday night were predicted to win 46 seats, one short of a majority, with several key electorates still in play.
In her victory speech, Ms Berejiklian told a jubilant crowd she would happily work with the three crossbench MPs to form government if she had to.
“Whether or not my government is a majority government or a minority government, we will work closely with the three independents that are elected to the NSW parliament,” she said.
While the Liberals were able to weather much of the election storm, the seat of East Hills was too close to call and Coogee was all but lost to Labor.
Meanwhile the Nationals lost the seat of Murray to the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers, while Barwon is also likely to fall that way.
The premier told the crowd she was proud to live in a state that would elect a woman with a long name.
Ms Berejiklian is the first woman ever elected premier in NSW.
“I am most proud of the state of NSW, I’m incredibly proud of the wonderful place in which we live,” she said.
Women congratulate premier on win
Ms Berejiklian has been congratulated by all sides of politics for making history.
She followed in the footsteps of Queensland’s Annastacia Palaszczuk who became the first woman to be popularly elected as premier at the 2017 Queensland election.
At a time when women in politics has been in focus, former prime minister Julia Gillard led the congratulations, despite coming from the Labor side of the political divide.
“In a world of far too few women leaders, I congratulate @GladysB on being the first woman to win a NSW state election,” Ms Gillard, the first woman to be an Australian prime minister, tweeted.
NSW Labor frontbencher Jodi McKay also congratulated Ms Berejiklian during the ABC’s election night broadcast.
“I think the fact that she’s been able to be the first elected female premier of NSW, every woman in this state should be feeling pretty pleased about that,” Ms McKay said.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said Ms Berejiklian’s personal win was “no small feat”.
Kristina Kenneally, now a Labor senator, became the first woman premier in NSW when she succeeded Nathan Rees in a partyroom ballot in 2009. She lost the 2011 election.
Western Australia’s Carmen Lawrence was the first woman to be premier of an Australian state in 1990.
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