SYDNEY: The Liberal (LIB) and National Coalition defeated the Labor Party (ALP) in the NSW State Election on Saturday 26 March, making Barry O’Farrell the first Liberal Premier of NSW in 16 years.
With a momentous swing of 17.5%, the Liberal and National Coalition secured at least 64 of the 93 seats in the NSW Legislative Assembly.
Premier-elect O’Farrell, speaking from Liberal Party celebrations at the Parramatta Leagues Club, declared this was a result to "make New South Wales number one again". O’Farrell, who ensured that he would govern for everyone in the state, said: "I am incredibly proud of tonight’s historic and unprecedented result. And I promise we won’t let you down."
Amongst the winners on election night was Liberal MP Gladys Berejiklian, who is the Member for Willoughby and a former Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) board member.
Graciously accepting victory on ABC television, Berejiklian said: "Our first job will be to focus on rebuilding infrastructure and we’re going to hit the ground running."
In an interview with ABC TV immediately after accepting victory, O’Farrell declared that Berejiklian had been an outstanding Shadow Minister and would make a brilliant Minister in the Parliament.
Berejiklian must now wait until the swearing-in of Ministers by the Governor of NSW before assuming her new position, which is rumoured to be in the Transport portfolio and will make her the first Armenian Minister in an Australian state.
ANC Australia had met with sitting members and candidates prior to the election to bring attention to Armenian issues, including the Armenian Genocide, Nagorno Karabakh and the Armenian-Australian community growth.
ANC Australia Executive Director Varant Meguerditchian said: "We wish to congratulate Mr O’Farrell and the Liberal National Coalition as they have been chosen to lead this state over the next four years."
"We look forward to having newly elected members make representations on behalf of all Armenian-Australians in the coming parliamentary term."
ANC Australia is also pleased to report the following key results for Armenian-Australians:
- Gladys Berejiklian secures 80% in the seat of Willoughby in a two party preferred calculation;
- Most MPs with whom ANC Australia met with in the lead up to the election - Brad Hazzard, Nick Lalich, Mike Baird, Anthony Roberts, Rob Stokes, Jonathan O’Dea and Victor Dominello - retained their Armenian-Australian populated seats across Sydney’s North and West;
- While Andrew Rohan replaced Ninos Khoshaba as the Member for the Armenian-Australian populated seat of Smithfield in Sydney’s West.
