Fed minister plays down NSW, ACT polls

Labor has been sent a clear message by voters in NSW and the ACT, federal frontbencher Jenny Macklin says. But Ms Macklin said the Saturday's polls reflected "particular state and territory
circumstances" not related to federal politics. Three of the four by-elections across NSW and a general election in the capital territory on Saturday all showed swings against Labor.

The NSW government lost the seat of former deputy premier John Watkins while it suffered substantial but not terminal swings in the seats of Lakemba and Cabramatta.

In the ACT, Labor Chief Minister Jon Stanhope has been forced into minority rule with a possible outcome being a Labor-Greens coalition.
"There is a very strong message from these by-elections in NSW and the election in the ACT," Ms Macklin told the Nine Network on Sunday.
"What they're saying to those governments is ... the people expect governments to take very decisive action."

Ms Macklin rejected assertions linking the state and territory polls with federal politics. "I think what we've seen in NSW and the ACT is very particular state and territory circumstances," she said.
Meanwhile, federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull says years of corruption and waste have been slammed by NSW voters. "They're very big swings," Mr Turnbull told ABC TV on Sunday. "It is the voters casting a very harsh verdict on the years of incompetence,
corruption, waste, do-nothing of state Labor."

Mr Turnbull sought to indirectly link the NSW Labor Party to federal politics.
"It is the NSW Labor Party machine that put Kevin Rudd where he is today."
Labor did not run in the mid-north coast seat of Port Macquarie where the successor
to National-turned independent Rob Oakeshott, Peter Besseling, kept the once-safe
Nationals seat in independent hands.
Mr Turnbull said the coalition would "look at the causes of this defeat in Port
Macquarie and make sure that next time we win".
Late on Saturday night, both major parties had seven seats, leaving the Greens as
king makers.
Despite the Liberals seemingly having failed to win office, Mr Turnbull said leader
Zed Seselja had done a marvellous job.
"The voters have delivered a stunning rebuff to Jon Stanhope," he said.
Opposition treasury spokeswoman Julie Bishop says the swing against Labor is a
"political earthquake" which would have cost the party state power in a general
election.
"It's certainly been a political earthquake in NSW when seats like Cabramatta are
still in question," Ms Bishop told the Ten Network.
"The people of NSW are clearly sick of this incompetent and arrogant state Labor
government."
The result sent a message to NSW Labor about the way they had handled their budget,
and infrastructure spending, she said.
"Had this been a general election it clearly would have been a change of government."
Ms Bishop said she was unaware of political tensions in Port Macquarie, where
Liberal federal politicians Alby Schultz and Senator Bill Heffernan were reportedly
handing out how-to-vote cards for independent Peter Besseling.
"Clearly the coalition at a federal level is
very strong and we are continuing to work very closely together, but in a seat like
Port Macquarie perhaps there are local issues that are play there," she said.
The federal opposition said Premier Nathan Rees would find it hard to rebuild from
the NSW Labor Party's "truly trashed" credibility after 13 years of government.
"The NSW right machine (of the ALP) is mired in corruption and nepotism
allegations," the opposition's community services spokesman Tony Abbott told Sky
News on Sunday.
"I really think that the Labor brand in NSW has been well and truly trashed and
that's obviously going to have an impact federally."
Mr Abbott refused to be drawn on reports that federal Liberal politicians helped
campaign against a NSW National candidate in the state seat of Port Macquarie.
"The problems in Port Macquarie are local problems and I'd like to just leave them
there, if that's OK."
But Mr Abbott later conceded he was disappointed that no Liberal candidate ran in
the seat.
"I think we might've had a better outcome if there was a Liberal candidate up
there," he said.