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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Gabrielle Chan

NSW election 2015: Baird's coalition returns to power – as it happened

Live results: Labor has gained about 12 seats from the government and the Greens have won one additional seat in Lismore.
Live results: Labor has gained about 12 seats from the government and the Greens have won one additional seat in Lismore.

Night time summary: Mike Baird's government returned to power

So, as midnight looms on us we can take a deep breath and have a look at what happened over the past few hours.

The Coalition retained government with Mike Baird as premier, as widely expected, but had their 69 seat majority reduced by dozen or more seats, on current projections.

Labor won at least 10 of those seats back from the Liberal party - a solid showing from newly minted leader Luke Foley and Greens surprised a lot of people, by winning four seats in the lower house, two of them from the Nationals heartland of northern NSW.

On current projections the seats Labor may gain were Blue Mountains, Campbelltown, Granville, Macquarie Fields, Maitland, Port Stephens, Prospect, Rockdale, Londonderry, Strathfield, Swansea and Wyong.

Foley referred to the swathe of western Sydney wins as the “return of the heartland”.

Greens won the newly created seat of Newtown, retained the other inner west seat of Balmain and also won Lismore and Ballina from the Nationals with swings of 26.3% and 31.9% respectively.

Baird blamed the loss of seats on Labor’s scare campaign but said the Coalition had won a mandate to “make NSW great”.

I have heard some talk tonight about Labor being back in the game for the election in 2019. Well, let me give you this assurance, in four years we’ll be back in those seats we lost, seeking to represent them over the good things we do for the people of NSW over the next four years.

Foley was gracious in defeat saying Labor had evolved from a “rump” to a “real opposition”.

After tonight we now have a two-party system again in NSW. The next election is now winnable for Labor.

Thank you so much for your company tonight, your valuable input and your contributions from around the state.

Tomorrow, there will be updates and more analysis and the results continue to roll out.

Thanks to Bridie Jabour, Michael Safi and the brains trust in the Guardian office. You know who you are.

Good night.

Bruce Baird has claimed Mike gets his premier skills from his mother, not his politician father. He had a chat with Channel Nine at the Liberal election party and said Mike would have a battle ahead of him with the privatisation of poles and wires.

Why is he such a popular premier? He takes after his mother...sometimes he calls me for advice and I try not to give him negative views.

Julie Bishop is the most senior federal Liberal at Mike Baird’s victory party tonight. She stopped for a quick chat to the ABC and told us what it meant that she was there and prime minister, Tony Abbott, was not:

Don’t read anything into anything. It’s a night of celebration for people of NSW, another four years of strong, determined, focused government and that’s what this state needs.

In the wake of Mike Baird’s win it is worth briefly returning to our political editor, Lenore Taylor’s, column from Friday. Lenore wrote that if there is a federal lesson in the NSW Liberal win, it is that scare campaigns - such as the opposition’s on electricity privatisation - can be stared down.

The fear of any kind of scare campaign from Labor was one reason the Coalition either fudged or failed to tell us about its policy intentions before the last federal election – which in turn is at least part of the reason voters refused to accept them when they did emerge. The fear of a Coalition scare campaign is why Labor has revealed no major policies yet despite promising that this would be its “year of ideas”. The fear of a revival of the ridiculous misrepresentations in the Coalition’s carbon tax scare campaign is why Labor does not properly call out Tony Abbott’s half-baked climate policy, despite having recommitted itself to some form of carbon market.

And the sum of all these fears is the curious situation in which we find ourselves halfway through the Abbott government’s first term, where it’s not really clear what either major party stands for.

The column can be read here.

Let us turn to the upper house for a moment where lots of interesting things are happening although only about a third of the vote has been counted. Despite the surprisingly large showing of four seats in the lower house for the Greens, they have a small swing of 1% against them, according to the ABC’s table.

Liberals and Nationals were on a joint ticket on the ballot paper for the legislative council and have had a swing of 4.1% against them, though are leading the table with 43.57% of the vote.

Labor have a healthy swing of 7.1% to them, currently sitting on 31% of the vote.

Casting an eye further down the chart Shooters and Fishers are coming in fourth and Fred Nile’s Christian Democratic Party are holding steady with a small swing of 0.4% against them.

I’m also going to note the Australian Motorist Party got more votes than the Australian Cyclist Party.

Lock the Gate’s Phil Laird says it’s a sign that regional electorates have rejected coal seam gas.

In the regions where massive opposition to coal and gas mining was a crucial factor, the Liberals and Nationals have lost four key seats – Ballina, Lismore, Wyong and Campbelltown and there have been very large swings against them in Upper Hunter and Barwon of roughly 17 and 21% respectively.

National Coordinator Phil Laird said the Government needed to learn from the outcomes in these electorates and to hear the very strong message that communities were sending them.

“The results from this election in regional NSW is loud and clear - the NSW Government has an overwhelming mandate to change direction, and act to protect water, farmland and people from the impacts of coal and gas mining.

Luke Foley concedes defeat by Mike Baird in the presence of his wife Edel.
Luke Foley concedes defeat by Mike Baird in the presence of his wife Edel. Photograph: Julian Chung/Guardian

Sarah Gerathy in the Liberal reception, noting J-Bish there in place of Tony Abbott.

Nationals MP John Barilaro in Monaro was expected to lose this very marginal seat to former MP Steve Whan. No one is prepared to concede or claim victory.

Is this the end of your political career (Steve Whan)?

I’ve said very clearly that if I didn’t win Monaro I wouldn’t be continuing in politics. The Nationals actually ran a very large part of their campaign as a personal attack campaign against me, saying that I was a career politician and that was apparently a bad thing, to want to represent your area continually for a long period of time.

Updated

Changing seats #nswvotes

Let’s get back to the changing seats.

Labor has won:

  • Blue Mountains
  • Campbelltown
  • Granville
  • Londonderry
  • Macquarie Fields
  • Maitland
  • Port Stephens
  • Prospect
  • Rockdale
  • Strathfield
  • Swansea
  • The Entrance
  • Wyong

The Greens have:

  • Lismore
  • Ballina
  • Newtown

Liberal have won:

  • Miranda

There is a lot of mandate talk on the panels tonight.

But as the government members are talking mandates to get the privatisation through the upper house, Labor is talking mandates for their position to oppose privatisation.

Baird also thanked Barry O’Farrell and former National party leader Andrew Stoner:

Who took us from opposition, took us into government and have got NSW working again, and I pay tribute to them, and that’s exactly what Troy Grant and I will do with our team over the next four years, work for the people of NSW.

Baird on Abbott, who appeared twice in the four week campaign.

He understood the need to put more funds into NSW. He has done that as a prime minister. I thank him for his support, his federal colleagues and it’s great to have Julie Bishop with us here tonight, as well.

(Except for that $80bn taken out of health and education at the last budget.)

Mike Baird thanks the new Liberal members, pays tribute to the Coalition members who have lost and thanks state director Tony Nutt and Tony Abbott, at which point the Liberal audience starts chanting Tony, Tony, Tony.

Tony is nowhere to be seen but he does thank Julie Bishop who:

is here with us tonight!

Cheers!!!!

Baird mentions the anti-privatisation campaign run by Labor.

Friends, we decided to be open with the people of NSW and in that we expose ourselves to a big scare campaign and I believe it was a biggest scare campaign in state election.

Shame.

As a result we lost some good people tonight and I want to pay tribute to them.

Baird's victory speech

Premier Mike Baird declares:

I love this State. The reason I love this State is because of its people and friends, tonight they have chosen hope over fear.

We sought a mandate to make NSW great.

And tonight, the people of NSW have given us that mandate. And to them, we say thank you. I want to thank Luke Foley for his concession. He did call me and I want to thank him for that. He has been a tough opponent, and certainly I appreciate his gracious words tonight and I also want to congratulate those new Labor members. There is no greater privilege than coming in to represent your community and I congratulate them for that. Over the past four years, we have focussed on delivering for this community built on trust, doing what we said we were going to do.

Ok Mike Baird up next. The victory speech.

Gladys Berejiklian damns Luke Foley’s speech with faint praise. Labor ran a dishonest campaign, she says.

I have to accept that Luke Foley’s speech now was an extremely gracious speech from a leader and traditionally you don’t hear them espousing the virtues of their opposite number in such ways and that’s really commendable, but I do have to say it shouldn’t take anything away from the fact that we feel Labor did run a very dishonest campaign. There was weeks and weeks of what we thought was misleading and dishonest campaign material. We stand by that. I don’t want to take anything away from what he said tonight, but it doesn’t reflect the actions they took on the grounds for the last four weeks.

Luke Foley: a bit of love for Baird

In line with his character, Luke Foley spent time congratulating Mike Baird in a much more fulsome way than in most concession speeches. Here is the full quote:

Mike Baird took over the leadership of the Liberal Party and the government when his government had entered very stormy waters and he steered the ship to safety. He is a formidable opponent. He’s at the peak of his popularity. He’s also an honourable opponent. Right through this campaign Mike Baird and I have both ensured that it was never personal. Iwant to thank Mike for the way he’s conducted himself during the course of this campaign.He’s a formidable and an honourable opponent. Can I also thank Barry O’Farrell for his service to our State. Another formidable political leader from the conservative side of politics. Friends, a majority of voters have decided that now is too soon for Labor to return to government. I understand their decision and I accept it. But friends, the people of NSW have breathed new life into state Labor today.

Luke Foley intends to nominate for the Labor leadership.

Under my leadership, the NSWLabor Party will be guided above all else by our timeless Labor values. A fair go for all, a decent life for everyone, a helping hand to those who need it most in life.

From Michael Safi, Luke Foley enters to make his concession speech.

Luke Foley commits the NSW Labor party to do everything in its power to make Bill Shorten the next prime minister of Australia.

So normal service is resumed in NSW politics. After tonight we now have a 2-party system again in NSW. We didn’t after the 2011 election, where we suffered the worst defeat in our very long history. The next election friends is now winnable for Labor.

Luke Foley mentions John Robertson, the former Labor leader, NSW Labor secretary, Jamie Clements. He also thanks Bill Shorten.

Luke Foley: Labor must be relevant

Luke Foley:

We’ve governed for a clear majority of the last 100 years, we’ve achieved humane and civilising reforms that have made NSW perhaps the most prosperous and fair society anywhere on earth. Yet, a glorious past doesn’t guarantee Labor any sort of future and nor should it. Labor must be relevant to the here and now. The Labor Party must earn its future. And with this result tonight we’ve gone from a rump in the State parliament to a real opposition.

He says the next election is now winnable for Labor. Foley thanks the people of Auburn for endorsing him.

Luke Foley:

Can I thank the people of western Sydney, the people of the Hunter and the people of the Central Coast for returning to Labor today.

Luke Foley says at the last election Labor won 20 seats, but will finish this election with somewhere in the mid-30s. A majority of seats will now be held by new members.

Nine or ten will be women in the lower house.

Luke Foley also thanks Barry O’Farrell for his service to the state.

He concedes that NSW voters think it is too soon for Labor to return to government but the campaign has

breathed new life into Labor.

Foley says Baird is a formidable and honourable opponent.

Right through this campaign Mike Baird and I have both ensured that it was never personal. I want to thank Mike for the way he’s conducted himself during the course of this campaign.

Luke Foley is speaking now.

Half the vote is now counted.

Gladys Berejiklian is talking about the mandate for the sale of poles and wires and the larger question that voters will not cop big reform.

I want to stress to Labor and the minor parties that the people of NSW are giving us a mandate to proceed with our policy position. We came strongly on that reform agenda. Mike Baird laid everything on the line, we all laid everything on the line and it looks as though the people of NSW have supported our vision and I’d expect all other parties to support that. But it has restored my faith in the fact that courageous politics when done for the right reasons can carry the day and that’s what this has shown. It was a risky strategy, a very courageous strategy by the Premier and he’s carried the day, and that’s restored my faith in being able to reform.

The noise is ramping up at the Foley camp.

Luke Foley is ringing Mike Baird to concede. He will speak shortly after.

ABC's Antony Green is predicting Coalition 54 to Labor 34.

Antony Green is predicting Coalition 54 to Labor 34. This would represent 11 seats moving to Labor.

NSW election has failed to make the top ten trends in Oz. Is anybody out there?

Luke Foley expected to concede in 10 minutes

Michael Safi reports Luke Foley is preparing to concede in 10 minutes, just after 9pm. Stay tuned.

Just on Balmain, Labor’s Carmel Tebbutt is refusing to concede Balmain to Jamie Parker yet. She reckons Firth is still in with a chance.

Updated

Michael Safi brings you a little colour and movement from the Foley bunker.

Ululating for Luke Foley.

Greens’ Jamie Parker has increased his margin in Balmain against Labor’s Verity Firth. Parker, who has a very low profile in the wider community, has worked hard on the ground in that seat which he held by a wafer-thin 0.4%. There were great expectations around Firth, who is a former NSW minister and a popular Labor figure.

Mike Baird's government returned to office with reduced majority

Calling it, people.

Gladys Berejiklian cannot claim ahead of Mike Baird but read between the lines.

I’m feeling more and more happy about what I’m seeing. Obviously can I say at the outset it’s always sad to see colleagues lose their seats as I’m sure Carmel’s been in that situation and I know some members in seats have worked their guts out for four years.

Pardon me, I said Julia Gillard. Julia Finn gets a lot of love.

Updated

A vine tells a thousand words.

ABC has just declared for Mike Baird’s government.

ABC has just declared for Mike Baird’s government.

The Coalition is on 52. At this stage it looks as though Labor has won 10 seats in the swing, to hold 33. Greens have picked up Newtown, retained Balmain. Lismore is one of four seats too close to call.

Updated

From Bridie:

Word is premier Mike Baird is in the car on the way to the Sofitel from Queenscliff. We don’t know if he’ll come straight into the party though, he is unlikely to enter until Luke Foley has called conceding defeat.

From Bridie Jabour in the Liberal party-party

The room is filling up at the Liberal NSW election party. The mood isn’t exactly buoyant - everyone seems pretty confident of a win but there’s lots of chatter about the seats being lost and why they’re losing them, particularly in western Sydney and the country.

One Liberal party volunteer in the seat of Strathfield said that the seat wasn’t being called at the beginning of the night was in itself a sign of how hard Charles Casuscelli has worked as the local member.

He doesn’t deserve to lose, that’s for sure, and we’ve all worked so hard.

Of course Casuscelli was up against Labor star Jodie McKay who famously lost her seat in Newcastle after developer Nathan Tinkler campaigned against her in 2011. Icac heard Tinkler tried to donate in return for approval of his coal loader. Evidence in Icac showed senior Labor ministers Eric Roozendaal and Joe Tripodi helped Tinkler campaign against McKay. She subsequently was held up as a shining beacon by Labor and she was made much of by Luke Foley during the campaign.

Nationals Kevin Humphries predicted to retain Barwon

Barwon is the largest electorate in the state, and Kevin Humphries is way ahead over Labor. Independent Rohan Boehm hoped to duplicate the win by rural indie Cathy McGowan in Indi. The electorate is the size of Victoria and Tasmania combined and although the town of Broken Hill was included after the redistribution, it was a hard climb. There was a strong anti-CSG/mining campaign, which appears to have bore little fruit.

On the current count, Labor’s Craig Ashby has 22.2%, Boehm has won 15.7% of the primary vote and the Greens have 3.9%. On a 2PP basis Kevin Humphries has 71.5% to 28.5%.

I published a photo earlier from the Cootamundra gathering and joked about cabanossi.

I swear I did not know.

Latest tally from ABC: Coalition expected to retain NSW government

  • Liberals 35
  • Nationals 16
  • Labor 31
  • Greens 2
  • Others 2
  • In doubt 7

Labor's David Harris predicted to win Wyong

This seat was held by Darren Webber, one of the Liberal MPs caught up in the Independent Commission Against Corruption property donations scandal. He retired and Sandra Kerr contested for the Liberal party but Harris - on the current count - has gained a 10% swing. Harris was the previous member prior to 2011.

Webber’s downfall in Icac was a big issue, as was the Wallarah 2 coal mine. Lock the Gate was very campaigning in this seat as well.

Michael Safi has been chatting to the volunteers at the Labor party-party.

Liberals may take Miranda from Labor

Gladys Berejiklian is predicting the Liberals will take the seat of Miranda from Labor. The sitting Labor MP Barry Collier retired and the new candidate Greg Holland looks as though he may not win it for Labor. Petinos is well ahead on the count.

I’m willing to predict that Miranda will be a seat we win off the Labor Party and Eleni Petinos will make a great member for Miranda.

National MP John Barilaro looks like he may hold Monaro

It looks like Labor’s Steve Whan has not managed to take Monaro from National MP and minister John Barilaro.

He is fully open about the Abbott factor.

The Tony Abbott factor, are you expecting that to hit you?

Definitely. The Tony Abbott factor, the federal government factor has played over the border. There’s no question about that. And the Labor Party and the unions have used it. There’s billboards, it’s quite flattering to be alongside of Tony Abbott, but being a state member and a National member it makes no sense but they’ve played to that hard here. But our grassroots campaigning on the ground, talking to voters, hopefully will overcome those federa lissues.

Barilaro says it’s going to be a long night but he is comfortable with it right now.

Transport minister Gladys Berejiklian has predicted the Greens would take more votes from Labor than the Coalition.

I’m going to predict that in some areas such as northern beaches, north shore, inner west, potentially that the Greens will keep taking votes from Labor and so for them that exchange of preferences is so critical. But I can see actually in some polling booths around safer parts of Libera lterritory The Greens outpolling Labor, which hasn’t happened before to this extent. I think watching what happens to the Green vote and subsequently the preferences will be really interesting not just for this election, but the future.

Updated

Guardian photojournalist Mike Bowers tells me he was turned away from a polling booth in Newtown at 4.10pm today because they had no ballot papers left. He went off to hunt for another one but people around him said:

Bugger it, I tried.

Dear readers are sending in more photos. This from the streets of Gunnedah in the seat of Tamworth, where farmers were handing out for independent Peter Draper.

Peter Draper supporter
On the streets of Gunnedah, where the Shenhua Watermark open cut coal mine. Photograph: Photo supplied/Photo supplied

Over at the Labor camp, things are only slightly more exciting. Though the carpet has got me going. It reminds me of the scene out of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas where Hunter S believes the floor is moving. And it’s only 7.30pm.

ABC's Antony Green tally: seats held Coalition 49 Labor 30 In doubt 14

At this stage the swing to Labor of 10%.

Bridie Jabour reporting from the Liberal party-party, where the excitement builds.

The ABC are predicting planning minister Pru Goward will retain her safe seat of Goulburn, though suffering a 12.2% swing against her. She was running against former Labor senator Ursula Stephens, who was well known in the area. Goward was extremely nervous and Labor campaigners told me they believed they would push the seat to a margin of a couple of per cent (which would have been extraordinary on a 26% margin). Obviously they were out. Only six booths counted so far though.

In Coogee, the Liberal MP Bruce Notley Smith’s helpers have broken out the pizza and the odd beer. But still waiting...

Notley-Smith is a former staffer to Malcolm Turnbull, campaigned for him a number of times. Foreign minister Julie Bishop also dropped in for a visit.

In Tamworth, where the Shenhua coal mine on the Liverpool Plains has been a big issue, National MP Kevin Anderson is ahead of independent Peter Draper. For Draper to win, he needs more preferences from Labor and Greens that is on the Electoral Commission site yet. Early days again, but government sources think that seat is gone.

There has been a couple of these images floating around from people who took a cut lunch to the polling booth to fill out every square below the line.

Senior Baird minister Gladys Berejiklian says she will be very nervous if it comes down to postals and pre-poll votes.

We’ve seen record numbers of people vote before the day. And that will have an impact on the process in years to come. I feel there is a higher and higher percentage of people voting before the day. That sometimes does impact the result. At a certain point in time, if you vote, there might be a certain message or a particular side of politics might be peaking at that time and that can affect the vote because things go up and down over a two-week period. People have been essentially voting for two weeks. I would argue the Labor Party peaked before we did. I believe we peaked later in the campaign. I think that will affect the votes as well.

Berejiklian is transport minister but if Baird gets back, she is expected to become treasurer. She was Barry O’Farrell’s pick the premier’s job when he resigned but the numbers swung behind Baird.

Ballina is not looking good for the Nationals either, notwithstanding a margin of 24%. Greens candidate Tamara Smith is on a primary vote well in front of the Nationals candidate Kris Beavis, with Labor running third.

Also early days but as I said earlier, Liberals tell me they believe the seat is lost to the government. This was a seat where Labor were very bullish. If the Greens are ahead on primaries, Labor will be asking campaign questions.

Remember longstanding Ballina National MP Don Page retired at this election so Kris was a new candidate. The Nationals really cast Beavis as a surfing member in TV ads, but again, coal seam gas, land usage, TAFE cuts were issues here.

Liberals are already blaming Page as “not being very helpful” during the campaign.

@MattGlassDarkly has provided us with a reconstruction of exit polling.

In Lismore, with only 1% of the vote counted - HEAR THAT - the Greens Adam Guise is in the crucial second place after the Nationals Thomas George. That means with Labor preferences, if the trend continues, Guise will win the seat. Early days yet folks.

Here’s a bit of video from our friends at AAP, from the leaders as they voted.

In it, Luke Foley is asked about unsolicited text messages which were sent out in Mike Baird’s name on Friday night.

Foley said he would not be sending any text messages out as:

I respect their privacy on the weekend.

Updated

Nine’s Galaxy poll is predicting a Coalition win. But still, remember, as the tweet says, 93 seats are in doubt. Which is every single one.

Updated

Up at Lismore, I am told Labor and the Greens are neck and neck. The National MP, Thomas George, is unlikely to hold the seat against Labor’s Isaac Smith and the Greens Adam Guise. Guise was very involved in the coal seam gas campaign against Metgasco for the past few years. Ultimately because of the community campaign, the NSW government suspended the licence, sparking legal action by the company. Labor has campaigned hard in the seat during the election and Luke Foley visited twice, including in the final week of the campaign.

At least everyone is keeping it civil. These kids all go to school together, though they are helping a range of parties. It’s a rainbow coalition up there when it comes to school mates.

Kids from the Trinity Catholic College in Lismore, helping on respective party booths.
Students from the Trinity Catholic College in Lismore help on respective party – Greens, National and Labor – booths. Photograph: Photo supplied/Photo supplied

Updated

And the first exit polls begin:

A senior Liberal is telling me Tamworth, Ballina and the Blue Mountains are lost.

This is early, so precautionary principles, please.

Updated

Here are the numbers you need to know tonight.

There are 93 seats in the lower house of the New South Wales parliament so 47 are needed to form a government.

There are 42 upper house seats, 21 MLCs are up for re-election.

In the lower house, the Baird-led Coalition holds 69. Labor has 23.

If the Baird government loses 23 seats, it will put it into a hung parliament.

If Baird loses 27 seats, the Coalition loses government.

A record number of people have nominated for the 21-seat upper house with 394 names on the ballot paper. 540 people are running for the lower house making the ballot paper 1m long.

About 4m voters headed to the polls at about 2,800 polling places across the state, and voters will use about 60,000 pens, which replaced pencils for the first time, to fill out ballot papers. There have already been 595,000 pre-poll votes and 206,000 iVotes.

Updated

The balloons are blown up, the cabanossi is on the Jatz and hopefully the telly is plugged in.

The primary industries minister, Katrina Hodgkinson, has a very safe seat, with a notional margin of 30.3%. She faces a challenge by a local farmer, Charlie Sheahan, a second cousin to Terry Sheahan who held the state seat for many years.

Updated

According to a Sky News exit poll, voters listed the issues which influenced their votes.

They were:

  1. NSW economy 61%
  2. Public transport 53%
  3. Privatisation 51%
  4. Environment 50%
  5. Tony Abbott factor 39%

Make of that what you will.

Baird government optimistic as polls to close at 6pm

Good afternoon, political wonks,

It’s a beautiful day around the state of New South Wales and here you are, stuck to an election blog. I salute you, my fellow tragic.

Since the polls opened at 8am, the voters have been filing into those cardboard booths, downing sausages and coffee, and arguing the toss.

I have been getting nervous phone calls and texts all day from both sides, hopeful and fearful. After some early panicky texts from the Coalition side, the consensus seems to have settled on the government losing about 10, give or take some either side. But both sides agree the seats that change will be in unusual places.

The exit polls will be the first numbers to roll in but we need to offer a little cautionary advice: remember Queensland, where the exit polls did not always reflect the ultimate outcome.

We will have all the reports from the major party rooms and we are hoping to hear from the very important major-minors around the state. A shout out to all of you Greens, indies and other parties – send me your predictions, fears and hopes.

And we won’t forget the upper house.

The NSW Electoral Commission will have its result site live from 6pm. I will also keep a keen eye on Antony Green on the ABC, who will be appearing, hopefully with the ABC Interpretive Dance Bandicoot.

Join me below or send my your polling stories and photos via Twitter. We will be @gabriellechan @bkjabour and @safimichael.

Onwards and upwards.

Updated

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