NSW election on knife-edge in final week's countdown

March 20, 2023 08:29 AM AEDT | By AAPNEWS
 NSW election on knife-edge in final week's countdown
Image source: AAPNEWS

A late resurgence in the polls by Premier Dominic Perrottet and the coalition has set the scene for a nail-biting final week in the NSW election campaign.

The latest Resolve Political Monitor poll published in the Sydney Morning Herald on Monday shows Labor and the coalition neck and neck, each with 38 per cent of the primary vote, after the government gained six points since last month's poll.

Mr Perrottet also gained ground as the preferred premier, appealing to 40 per cent of those surveyed compared to Opposition Leader Chris Minns who remained steady on 37 per cent.

The poll indicates a 4.5 per cent swing to Labor, meaning the party is still tracking to end the coalition's 12 years in power, but will likely need support from independent crossbenchers to form government.

The poll surveyed 1000 eligible voters from Tuesday to Sunday, following the Liberal Party's campaign launch, when the premier unveiled his plan for a government subsidised superannuation-style savings fund for children.

Amid an ongoing tussle over the state's toll roads, the coalition announced on Monday that if elected it will seek to raise the speed limit on WestConnex to 90km/h, saying it will boost productivity to the tune of $80 million every year. 

The change would be subject to a safety review conducted by Transport for NSW after the election, which if successful could also see other motorways raise the current speed limit cap of 80km/h.

"Increasing the speed limit in WestConnex would mean drivers spend less time on the road and more time doing the things most important to them," Mr Perrottet said.

The premier also trumpeted the coalition's $116 billion infrastructure pipeline over the next four years boasting that it continues "the biggest building program since federation".

"Saturday's vote will decide the future of the NSW economy," he told reporters.

"You and your family will be worse under Labor because they can't manage money well ... they will come after your budget," he said in a pointed pitch to voters.

"We need to continue to build, we need to continue to grow the economy ... that grows the budget, increases revenue that allows us to invest in things that matter".

When pushed on the state's debts which is projected to reach $187 billion and if a ceiling on spending would be reached, the premier said it would remain "sustainable and affordable".

Mr Perrottet's strong stance on poker machine reform could also be earning him favour with voters.

It comes as the Public Health Association on Monday condemned Labor for hesitating with cashless gaming on 500 poker machines.

While the coalition will ban cash on NSW's 86,000 machines by 2028, Labor says more evidence is required before it's mandated.

"We are extremely disappointed that Labor is refusing to realise the opportunity to protect the health and wellbeing of their communities who are being crushed by the gambling industry," the association's state president Kate McBride said.

"Labor's current gambling policy is a disappointing dud worthy of a red light."

Gaming was the sole public health green light for the coalition or Labor, both marked poorly for action on vaping and childhood obesity, and the coalition deemed worse on climate change and preventative health.

Meanwhile, voters will get their first look at the true cost of the major parties' election promises when the independent Parliamentary Budget Office releases budget statements on Monday.

But it will be too late for thousands of voters who cast their vote on Saturday - day one of pre-poll.

Two thousand early voting centres are expected to be used by about 30 per cent of the state's 5.5 million electors.

Another 480,000 have requested postal voting.


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