Ms CLAYDON(NewcastleDeputy Speaker) (16:41): I congratulate Chris Minns, the new Premier of New South Wales, and his New South Wales Labor team for a stunning victory on the weekend. The people of New South Wales spoke loudly and clearly. In Labor they saw a government that would support workers, would improve services and would stand up for people and communities. It was a definitive vote against privatisation, against wage theft, against wage freezes and against a government that had taken voters for granted for way too long.
I congratulate the MPs in my electorate of Newcastle: Sonia Hornery in Wallsend, Jodie Harrison in Charlestown and Tim Crakanthorp in Newcastle. They all had resounding victories. Your election wins are a testament to your hard work and your deep commitment and connection to our community. I thank and congratulate the hardworking teams of volunteers and supporters. Campaigns are not possible without you.
Beyond Newcastle, the Hunter region is now very well represented by Labor members, including Kate Washington in Port Stephens, Yasmin Catley in Swansea, Jenny Aitchison in Maitland and Clayton Barr in Cessnock. While there are still seats to be called, Labor is on track to achieve gender parity, with around 50 per cent of government members expected to be women. We look forward to working with the new Premier, Chris Minns, and his extraordinarily talented Labor team to deliver a better future for New South Wales.
