Australian Politics and Policy - Senior, 2019a

New South Wales
Hanson’s One Nation Party (PHON) won two Council seats at the 2019 election
with former federal Labor leader Mark Latham as its lead candidate.
The continued success of minor parties has changed the dynamic of NSW
electoral and parliamentary politics. The Labor Party now competes with the
Greens for left of centre votes, while the Coalition parties face electoral challenges
from right of centre minor parties such as the SFFP and PHON. Governments still
initiate almost all legislation that is passed by the NSW parliament; however, they
often need to take the views of minor parties into account to prevent contentious
Bills being defeated by a combination of opposition and minor party MLCs. 43
Conclusions
NSW has a well-established set of formal political institutions that have adapted to
changing pressures over two centuries. This adaptability is perhaps best illustrated
bythedevelopmentoftheLegislativeCouncilfromanappointedtoanelected
house of review. The institutional framework of NSW politics currently appears to
be relatively settled; however, the major political parties face challenges to adapt
their traditional outlooks and operations to new circumstances. Recent revelations
by the Independent Commission Against Corruption of political corruption
involving both the Labor and Liberal parties point to integrity and transparency
as key concerns for future governance in NSW. NSW Labor is yet to overcome
the legacies of the post-Carr era, while the Coalition government has staked its
reputation on a massive infrastructure spending program. This program is intended
to address Sydney’s growth and the economic development of regional NSW. Even
if the government succeeds in completing the promised roads, rail lines, stadiums
and so on, it may face a legacy of unresolved issues, such as population growth,
overdevelopment, environmental damage, the merits of private versus public
provision of services, lack of consultation and disruption to local communities.
A key question is whether the old laws of NSW politics – when the ‘pork barrel’
ruled – still apply or whether NSW is moving into an age in which tolerance,
sustainability, quality of life and access to social capital are more central to citizens’
perceptions of what it means to live in the ‘premier state’.
References
Aitkin, Don (1972). The Country Party in NSW: a study of organisation and survival. Canberra: ANU
Press.
Bramston, Troy, ed. (2006). The Wran era. Annandale, NSW: Federation Press.
Chaples, Ernie, Helen Nelson and Ken Turner, eds. (1985). The Wran model: electoral politics in NSW,
1981 and 1984. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
43 Smith 2012b.
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