Everything is on the line for Mike Baird, according to Sydney Morning Herald state political editor, Sean Nicholls.
In something of a role reversal, voters are left with a choice between a big spending Coalition government or a more restrained ALP opposition.
“On Mr Foley’s side, he has tied his entire campaign to the absolute rejection of any type of any type of privatisation of the poles and wires and the consequence for him is that he just doesn’t have the money to promise any infrastructure and other promises,” Mr Nicholls said.
“So we now have a situation where the ALP is trying to not talking about infrastructure promises and focus the community on the unpopularity of the prospect of selling the poles and wires and the government doing precisely the opposite.”
While privatisation played a significant role in the demise of the Queensland LNP government, Nicholls points out Campbell Newman’s government battled a deep unpopularity with the Queensland.
“That’s in stark contrast to the way Mike Baird is regarded in NSW,” said Mr Nicholls.
“All of the opinion polls show that he has soaring popularity amongst the community. He’s probably the opposite of arrogant and has also shown a willingness to talk through his plans very clearly with the community before taking them to the election for a mandate.”
Mr Nicholls said that, although polls continue to show Mike Baird’s government, and Baird himself, to be very popular, the partial privatisation of assets remains very unpopular with the community.
