'Go Blue Mountains, we have painted you red': Labor MP Trish Doyle claims victory with increased majority

With a record swing towards her, Blue Mountains MP Trish Doyle was re-elected as the state member of Parliament, saying the region had been "painted red" during this election. 

Ms Doyle won every booth in the electorate on the primary vote, with the exception of Mt Riverview Public School, which she later took on preferences.

According to the ABC election website the count so far has Ms Doyle improving her primary vote by five per cent, while the Liberal primary vote was down 7.3 per cent. The Greens recorded a primary vote of 12.8 per cent, a fall of 3.8 per cent. After the distribution of preferences, the swing to Ms Doyle was seven per cent with just over 60 per cent of the vote counted.

Ms Doyle recorded one of the strongest swings to Labor at the election along with other MPs re-elected for their second term such as Greg Warren in Campbelltown (10.9 per cent) and Liesl Tesch in Gosford (8.2 per cent).

"I just want to thank all of you because I couldn't have done it without you," she said in her victory speech to supporters at Lawson Bowling Club on Saturday night. "Go Blue Mountains, we have painted you red."

While the Liberal Party has been re-elected to government in NSW, swings, some more than 10 per cent, occurred in Blue Mountains polling booths where traditionally the Labor party had struggled against the Liberals. The two-party preferred result was 65.1 per cent to Labor with 34.9 per cent to Liberal. 

Local Labor political strategist Tom Harris-Brassil said: "Trish Doyle is on track to achieve the highest ever two-party preferred result in this electorate by any candidate or MP. It's now a safer seat for Labor than heartland electorates like Cabramatta, Heffron and Bankstown".

"Whereas the bulk of the 18 per cent swing on primaries towards Trish Doyle at the 2015 election came to her from those who in 2011 had previously voted for an Independent candidate, Janet Mays, the swings towards her at this election have come from the Liberals and the Greens.

"After distribution of preferences, Trish's result has improved by approximately seven per cent over her 2015 result," he added.

Labor strategists said with 75 per cent of the vote counted by Sunday, Ms Doyle was tracking a record primary vote of 49.8 per cent with 64.85 after preferences. Former Labor state member Bob Debus in 2003 had a primary of 45.6 per cent and 64.8 two party preferred. They were awaiting final numbers based on the pre poll preferences expected later today (Sunday).

In Winmalee and Blaxland East, the swing to Labor was more than eight per cent.

"And at Morven Gardens (Aged Care Centre, Leura), a booth where the Liberals won the primary vote in 2015, the swing to Labor was almost 12 per cent. Labor has also won the Mount Riverview (on two-party preferred) booth for the first time ever." 

Primary vote on the NSW Electoral Commission website showed Mr Laffin on 169 and Ms Doyle on 243 at Morven.

In a speech on election night, Ms Doyle's campaign co-ordinator Susan Lenehan, who also acted as the Labor booth captain for Morven Gardens, said they had never won that Leura booth before.

"It is so conservative, people almost arrive in barouches, let alone walking frames, however today we won that booth by 63.3 per cent and we won Winmalee High."

Ms Lenehan went on to tell the party faithfull how blessed the people of the Blue Mountains were. "We happen to be the luckiest place in the world. We live in this paradise, we have the most wonderful state member and the most wonderful federal member .How lucky are we?"

Ms Doyle said she was saddened by the Liberals' negative campaign.

"They couldn't fight this fairly on policy. They played dirty tricks in the last few days. They tried to discredit me and slander my name and it actually backfired on them. The Blue Mountains seat is no longer bellwether, we are a safe seat ... we fought for the workers ... we are a thoughtful and progressive community."

Mr Laffin posted on his Facebook page on Sunday night that he contacted "Trish Doyle to congratulate her on her win here in the Blue Mountains. While votes from some polling booths are still being counted, the result is clear".

"I would like to thank all the candidates and volunteers from all parties. It has been a real honour to take part in the democratic process alongside you. The camaraderie and good spirits on pre-poll and polling booths has deepened my faith in our hard-won democracy," he said.

Mr Laffin said "while the result is not what we hoped for here in the Blue Mountains, the Berejiklian Liberal Government has won a historic third term and will continue the great work begun in 2011".

"Here in the Blue Mountains we will continue to work in each town and village to engage our friends and neighbours as we look towards the Federal Election."

A dismal final campaign week for Labor saw a last-minute collapse in their vote in NSW, helping ensure Premier Gladys Berejiklian became the first elected female premier.

Ms Doyle said: "While we have not won government, voters in our electorate have sent a clear message to the Liberals in Macquarie Street - stop the sell offs, give us better transport services, and improve our schools and hospitals."

The seat of Blue Mountains includes the townships between Blaxland and Mount Victoria as well as Bell and Mount Wilson. Residents in Glenbrook and Lapstone are in the Penrith electorate, which has again been held by the Liberal Party's Stuart Ayres.

Mr Ayres confirmed victory about 10.30pm on Saturday at the Penrith Panthers Leagues Club.

As the Minister for Sport, Western Sydney and WestConnex, Mr Ayres had been under pressure due to the rebuild of Allianz Stadium and the Labor cashback scheme on the M4 toll. His seat was tipped by his own party to go down to the wire, prompting two last-minute visits to the electorate by popular former prime minister John Howard this week.

The two-party preferred count was 51.6 per cent to Liberal and 48.4 per cent to Labor.

In the two Blue Mountains booths Mr Ayres secured in Glenbrook 739 on primary to the Labor Party candidate, Karen McKeown's, 546, and in Lapstone Mr Ayres had 499 primary votes to Ms McKeown's 414. After preferences Glenbrook: Ayres 805, McKeown 710, Lapstone: Ayres 529, McKeown 512.

Mr Ayres told The Sydney Morning Herald that the electorate "know if they want better infrastructure they have to pay for it".

See full details at: NSW Electoral Commission website.

The Blue Mountains candidates included: 

The  Penrith candidates included:

Statement from Owen Laffin (received Tuesday afternoon, March 26)

"Over the weekend I contacted Trish Doyle, to congratulate her on her win here in the Blue Mountains. While votes from some polling booths are still being counted, the result is clear. I wish Ms Doyle all the best for this term in office and congratulate her team on a strong campaign.

I would like to thank all the candidates and volunteers from all parties. It has been a real honour to take part in the democratic process alongside you. The camaraderie and good spirits on pre-poll and polling booths has deepened my faith in our hard-won democracy.

I would particularly like to thank my own Liberal party volunteers for their hard work.

Week after week they have woken early to stand on train stations with me, walked miles to carry out letter-box campaigns, door-knocked, stood on street stalls and polling booths. They have taken time out from work and family to engage with people in every town and village.

While the result is not what we hoped for here in the Blue Mountains, the Berejiklian Liberal government has won an historic third term and will continue the great work begun in 2011. This victory marks is a milestone in the electoral history of the state, representing not only the first time the Liberal party has won office for a third term, but also the first election of a female Premier. As a party we are proud of both these achievements.

As a result of the continuation of the Berejiklian Liberal government in NSW, among many other benefits, the Blue Mountains community will soon profit from accessibility upgrades to Faulconbridge, Hazelbrook and Blackheath train stations, and a fleet of modern, inter-city trains. The provision of a 21st century public transport system in the Blue Mountains is long overdue, and I am thrilled to see it being delivered.

As a local Liberal party we will work hard to learn the lessons of this election and will focus on listening to the local community. We will continue to work in each town and village to engage our friends and neighbours as we look towards the Federal Election with our wonderful Liberal candidate for Macquarie, Sarah Richards."