Swing against Evans in Heathcote as Liberals claim victory in NSW election

Premier Gladys Berejiklian expects to form a majority government with up to 49 seats after the Liberals performed better than expected at the state election. Premier Berejiklian is pictured with State Liberal MP, Lee Evans who has been comfortably returned to his seat of Heathcote.

THE two members of parliament in the northern Illawarra electorates of Heathcote and Keira have retained their seats after Saturday’s State election.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian expects to form a majority government with up to 49 seats after the Liberals performed better than expected at the state election. Ms Berejiklian made history by becoming the first woman elected as NSW premier.

State Liberal MP, Lee Evans has been comfortably returned to his seat of Heathcote, which takes in southern Sydney suburbs and villages of the far northern Illawarra.

On Sunday, Mr Evans had won 55.6 per cent of the two-party preferred vote with a 2.6 per cent swing against him to Labor’s Maryanne Stuart.

Labor’s Ryan Park was safely returned to his seat of Keira after Saturday’s election

While Mr Evans won most polling places in southern Sydney, he lost every booth in the northern Illawarra, including at Scarborough and Stanwell Park, with the exception of Helensburgh Community Centre, where he scraped over the line with less than 15 votes.

Mr Evans said it had been a tough election campaign given he did not have a campaign manager for the past six weeks.

As expected, Ryan Park safely retained his seat of Keira for Labor, increasing his margin by 1.8 per cent. Mr Park won 69.51 per cent of the two-party preferred vote. He played down questions about a potential leadership challenge after a disastrous run by Labor leader, Michael Daley in the last week before the poll.

Mr Park said Mr Daley had his support at his, and Wollongong Labor MP Paul Scully’s celebration party at Corrimal RSL on Saturday night.