All four contested seats will be watched closely by the ABC News team, with live and rolling coverage throughout the day.
Australia’s No 1 continuous news channel will bring viewers the most comprehensive and authoritative coverage and analysis of a fascinating day in politics.
Our reporters will be on the ground as NSW voters cast their ballots in four seats:
- Willoughby, held by former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian from 2003 until her shock resignation last October.
- Monaro, held by John Barilaro before he quit as Deputy Premier and leader of the NSW Nationals in October.
- Bega, vacated by ex NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance when he retired from State politics to run for a federal seat.
- Strathfield, which was held by former NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay.
Leading our coverage are Political Presenter Jane Norman, Insiders host David Speers, Chief Elections Analyst Antony Green at the touchscreen on the newsroom floor, and NSW State Political Reporter, Ashleigh Raper.
Our special guests will be Trent Zimmerman (Liberal – seat of North Sydney) and Ed Husic (Labor – seat of Chifley) and we’ll also be speaking with Andrew Constance and NSW Labor Deputy leader Prue Car.
Jane Norman said the by-elections were the first real test of NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, just four months after taking over the top job, and new Labor leader Chris Minns.
She said:
“Incumbency has benefited governments during the COVID-19 crisis but as Australia enters its third year of the pandemic it’ll be fascinating to see whether that power had begun to wane.
“Coming so close to a federal election it could also have implications for Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese with some of the seats in play over-lapping with federal electorates.”
‘Mr Elections’ Antony Green said any losses by the Liberal Party would endanger the government’s control of Parliament.
“The Labor seat of Strathfield is also worth watching, sharing suburbs with the marginal Federal seat of Reid. It could mark the entry into parliament of high-profile Labor candidate Jason Yat-Sen Li.
“The by-elections are being held one year out from the state election – but also just months out from the federal election. Bega and Monaro lie within the bellwether Federal seat of Eden-Monaro and overlap with Gilmore, where Andrew Constance will be the Liberal candidate.”
