Count confirms swing to coalition in NSW

AAP- March,26-Early counting in the NSW election has confirmed a significant swing toward the coalition.
An hour after the polls cost at 6pm (AEDT), the NSW Electoral Commission website was showing strong swings away from Labor to the coalition.
An Sky News exit poll had predicted a 21 per cent swing against the Keneally government.
The ABC said so far the swing was 15.7 cent against Labor, with just under three per cent of the 3.6 million votes cast on Saturday counted.
ABC election analyst Antony Green said based on the figure, the coalition would have 53 seats in the 90 seat parliament.
"We are seeing this massive swing from Labor to the coalition," he said.
ALP upper house MP and campaign spokesman Luke Foley says the situation looks dire for Labor, after predicting a "massacre" before counting had even started.
"I'm seeing, 12, 14, 14, 17 per cent swing," he told ABC Television.
Coalition campaign spokesman Gladys Berejiklian was playing it cautious, refusing to acknowledge victory.
"Too early. Certainly we're hearing very strong results in seats like Menai and Camden.
She said the coalition was also getting some good results in rural seats.
The Coalition needed only a 7.2 per cent swing to win government.
Polls this week had pointed to swings against the government of between 15 per cent and 18.3 per cent.
The polls also showed the Coalition leading Labor by 64 per cent to 36 per cent on a two-party-preferred basis.
Primary support for Labor was put at 22 per cent, against 50 per cent for the coalition, and 13 per cent for the Greens.
According to the Electoral Commission, at 7.25pm the coalition potentially had won 39 seats, Labor five and independents two.
The Labor seats included Newcastle, Maroubra, Oatley, The Entrance and Canterbury.
The Nationals look likely to regain Port Macquarie from independent Peter Besseling, who succeeded federal MP Rob Oakeshott in a by-election in 2008.
The state electoral commission figures are showing a swing of 8.1 per cent to the Nationals' Leslie Williams, since the by-election.
The Nationals may also claim Dubbo from independent Dawn Fardell and Bathurst from Country Labor's Dale Turner.
Labor was taking heart from Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt's performance in Marrickville, where the swing against her to the Greens so far is less than expected.
"Six booths in, in no booths is the swing large enough for the Greens to knock off Tebbutt," Mr Foley told the ABC.
In Balmain, where the Greens have been tipped to oust Education Minister Verity Firth, Mr Foley said the result may not be known for some time.
Greens candidate, Leichhardt mayor Jamie Green, was being cautious.
"I think it will be very close. At the moment we seem to be holding quite well ... but it could take some time to determine the outcome," he told the ABC.
Ms Berejiklian said the Liberals were doing surprisingly well in the early counting in Balmain and in Strathfield, held by another Keneally minister, Virginia Judge.
The ABC later predicted the coalition would end up with a majority of 49 in the 93-seat parliament.
Mr Green says on the current figures, the Liberals will have 54 seats, the Nationals 17, independents three, the Greens none, leaving the ALP with just 19 seats.
That would be a loss of 31 seats of the 50 seats Labor held before Saturday.
The ABC said the coalition was benefiting from a swing of 17.1 per cent, while Sky said the swing was 17 per cent.
Liberal Party state director Mark Neeham said there will be no prolonged celebrations if the coalition claims victory.
"It's down to the hard work of sorting this state out. After 16 years in opposition there is so much work to do," he told Seven.
"We've got a very positive indication right now, it's still too early to call a lot of these seats."
Mr Neeham praised Mr O'Farrell for running a "determined, focused and disciplined" campaign.
"He unified our party.
"He instilled discipline in our party and worked tremendously hard every day for the last four years."
Meanwhile, there has been a big swing to the coalition in Labor's Central Coast seat of The Entrance.
By 7.50pm, with 52 per cent of the vote counted, there had been a 19 per cent swing against David Mehan.
The seat was likely to be won by Chris Spence, who was targeted by Labor during the campaign for his association more than 10 years ago with One Nation.