Victory in state election is relief for Australia PM

Australia's most populous state made history over the weekend by returning the coalition government of Premier Gladys Berejiklian for a third term.

Berejiklian became the first woman premier to be elected in the state of New South Wales and the first state premier in 50 years to lead a coalition government anywhere in the country for a third term. She has been premier since January 2017 following the resignation of Mike Baird.

Although polls predicted a close race, the Liberal National Party Coalition was returned in an election that saw few changes, giving the federal government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison a major boost in confidence.

The election did see, however, the return of former federal Labor leader Mark Latham who is expected to win a seat in the Upper House for the right-wing One Nation Party led by Pauline Hanson, known for her outspoken views on race and immigration.

University of Adelaide politics professor Carol Johnson said Latham's position on many issues had not drastically changed from when he was Labor leader.

"Even then, he was unsympathetic on many issues such as gender, ethnicity and race. He tended to see these as symbolic, elite, insider issues that he argued were alienating suburban Australians, the outsiders," she told the ABC.

University of New England political scientist Tim Battin said populism had driven support for Latham's campaign style.

"I think populism takes hold when ideological stability starts to falter or fracture," Battin said.

"You will have at the same time politicians who very cleverly recognize an opportunity for themselves to... adopt populist slogans as a strategy to transform populist tendencies into a top-down manipulation for their own benefit," he said on radio.

Analysts say while the Liberal-led coalition remains quietly confident it can govern in its own right, final counting in the coming days will determine if Berejiklian has secured a majority.

Claiming victory on Saturday night, she said: "Tonight is about the people of New South Wales and the future of our state."

"My team and I will continue to work our guts out to make sure this state and its people continue to ensure that we have the best opportunities on this planet."

karlwilson@chinadailyapac.com

(China Daily 03/25/2019 page11)