Greens win Balmain

After a tense week of counting, Greens candidate Jamie Parker has declared victory in the seat of Balmain.

Mr Parker’s victory was in doubt all week as Labor MP Verity Firth looked likely to retain the seat on preferences, but Mr Parker gained in the closing days of the race and took the seat.

“This is an historic win for the Greens, gaining their first ever lower house seat in the NSW parliament,” Mr Parker said. “Our vote has continued to grow, our supporter base continues to grow and our membership has also grown strongly.

“There is no doubt that the Greens are being seen by an increasing number of people as a credible alternative to the two parties who have held power for so long.

“This is a victory for voters looking for real change who believe that social justice and the environment should be at the heart of politics, not just an afterthought.”

Mr Parker congratulated his supporters on a job well done.

“I would also like to acknowledge the great work of my campaign team and all of the hundreds of supporters whose time and effort made this possible,” he said. “It is those people who deserve this victory and I thank them sincerely”.

Mr Parker also took the time to congratulate his opponents on the tough contest.

“I congratulate all of the candidates in this election in Balmain, particularly James Falk who achieved a significant increase in the Liberal vote. I would like to thank the former member Verity Firth for her work on behalf of this community and I wish Verity and her family the best of luck in the future.”

After election night analysts had predicted that the second place candidate would win the seat on preferences after Mr Falk took the lead in the primary vote. Distribution of preferences finished late on Saturday afternoon, putting Mr Parker ahead of Mr Falk, 19,141 to 16, 664.

Ms Firth was gracious in defeat and took the opportunity to thank her supporters for a “remarkable” campaign.

“I would like to congratulate Mr Parker on this outcome and wish him the best of luck for the next four years.

“In an election where some seats recorded swings of more than thirty percent, it is remarkable that a marginal seat such as Balmain came down to the wire,” Ms Firth said. “I believe that this result is a testament to the grassroots campaign that was run in the months leading up to the election. More than 700 volunteers were part of the campaign and I would like to extend my deepest thanks to each and every one of them.”

Balmain was the seat to watch this election. Primary votes for the three main parties saw Mr Falk with 32.6 per cent, Mr Parker with 30.7 per cent and Ms Firth with 30.2 per cent.