NSW By-election results

I managed to pick the result of three out of four by-elections. Which ain't bad. Lakemba and Cabramatta will be held by Labor but with swings against it of 12 and 23% respectively. Ryde has a new member - a Liberal - the first time in 20 years a Liberal has won a seat off the Labor party in NSW.

Unfortunately, I underestimated how un-politically savvy the voters of Port Macquarie are, where they exercised their democratic right and voted in an Independent. That result could have been mitigated if the NSW Liberals had the balls to pre-select a candidate, instead of cow-towing to the National Party - a party who are fast becoming irrelevant, both statewide and nationally.

With the exception of local government, where they can actually do some good by putting party politics to one side, I have absolutely no time for Independents and their obscurantist agendas.