I find curious the purported insinuation By KK and others that unless one specifies exactly what one is planning to do for the next 4 years, that one does not have a mandate. Assuming that the coalition obliterates the ALP the mandate delivered by the people will be to undo the corruption and incompetence of the last 16 years.

Given the dodgy and covert deals of the past, it will probably take Barry his first 100 days just to open the various cans of worms and uncover the putrification that lies below, only then will he fully realise the scope of what needs to be done.

Barry O'Farrell will get in,look at the books and shock horror,it was much worse than we thought.Get ready for servere austerity measures.

The first action Barry should carry out is instigate new Govt State a Bank of NSW.All his taxes can be put into this and the fractional reserve system of money creation will pay for infrastructure.We do not need to borrow from the private banking system.Govts do not need to go into debt.

With the falling Branch membership and lack of patronage from business, NSW labor will come to be completely dominated by it's remaining financiers ... the Unions.

Do you really think they'll be ever able to present labor as an alternative when O'Farrell starts governing for his constituents, assuming of course business is not able to continue, with the liberals, it's previously unhealthy patronage?

Graham,

Assume you are a Basil Fawlty fan? You are specialising in the bleeding obvious here aren't you?

Nobody who has heard anything about NSW over the last decade could fail to hear and see the corruption, the disinterest, the crimes, the total arrogance so the result was obvious.

How they syated in this long is the miracle but all that really says is how bad the alternatives must have been, right?

Barry will wish he hadn't won when he starts trying to fix the shambles. Have any of you tried driving around or through Sydney? From interstate all you want to do is turn around and go home. Toll roads on toll roads and bumper to bumper. My God, little public transport alternative either. Who would live there? I guess people from overseas who are used to those conditions, but not Aussies.

I was born there and used to love it but today? Would not go near it.

Good riddance to bad rubbish. Still, and it's intensely ironic, Kenneally was probably the best politician on the night. So, as if they hadn't already done enough to prove how detached from reality a political party can become, NSW Labour is set to replace Kristina with John Robertson, the factional warlord and union fanatic most likely to distribute a much-reduced chest of political spoils amongst dismally unqualified mates and apparatchiks. Some people just can't learn, no matter what you whack them over the head with. Robertson and unions can no doubt do a good deal of damage to O'Farrell, but strikes and obstructionism aren't what voters want from the opposition. NSW Labour desperately needs a clean-out, and Robertson is the last man for the job. They should beg Kristina to stay, give her carte blanche in rebuilding the party and shedding the deadwood. In four years time, she might have forged a competitive team, and in eight, she might have a winner. If Robertson's put in charge, O'Farrell could end up running NSW longer than Gadaffi's run Libya.

Here's a question.

Why didn't so many disillusioned Labor voters in NSW just exhaust their preferences or vote Green?

They hate the Carbon Tax.

Labor's finished in NSW and Federally. The same NSW fools who bought NSW Carr, Iemma, Rees, and Kenneally and now apparently Robertson had an extraordinary influence in bringing us Latham, Rudd, Gillard and whoever's the next saviour federally.

You are right donkeygod, some people just cannot learn ... and some like the NSW former labor votes are just plain slow. But to be talking about a resurgent ALP within hours of such a disgraceful and embarassing drubbing is worse than not learning or being slow ... it defies the reality labor cannot possibly rebuild from here ... with your type of lack of thought.

I heard an AlpBC commentator predicting O'Farrell's early demise this morning, because he had too many new members for god's sake, and with Robertson being competitive next election and winning the following.

lol as you say some never learn.