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Fresh start for NSW Labor leader Foley

Opposition Leader Luke Foley has taken heart from Labor's performance at Saturday's NSW state election, and he now has the 2019 poll in his sights.

NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley
Luke Foley has declared Labor is back in the game after it regained seats in the NSW state election. (AAP)

For NSW Labor leader Luke Foley, the choice for brunch the day after a confidence-building election result was easy.

Declaring the party had won back its heartland, he snapped the menu shut and ordered a "Fresh Start Brekkie, with a fresh start for Labor".

Just four years ago, the Labor party lost government after 16 years in its worst election defeat in a century. It was left with just 20 MPs in the 93-seat parliament.

It will enter the new parliament with at least 34 MPs and a renewed confidence that it can beat the coalition at the 2019 election.

"When we lost in 2011, the conventional wisdom was that Labor would be out of power for a generation ... suddenly now, after yesterday, the next election is very winnable for Labor," the opposition leader said on Sunday.

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Mr Foley has only been opposition leader since January, and was relatively unknown to voters. He had to win the seat of Auburn to enter the lower house and now will go head-to-head with Premier Mike Baird in parliament.

"This election was a launching pad for my leadership and we have lift-off with six new western Sydney Labor MPs," he told reporters in St Marys.

"I'm determined over the next few months to mould a credible alternative government."

Labor won back many of the heartland seats it lost in 2011, which Mr Foley celebrated with brunch in St Marys with newly-elected western Sydney Labor MPs.

The media pack, however, wasn't going to let Mr Foley bask too long, pushing him on the privatisation of electricity assets which he had stridently campaigned against.

Mr Foley said he would be surprised if the party changed its position, but said "after an election, all policies are up for review".

Labor caucus will meet after Easter to formally elect its leader and front bench.

In the meantime, Mr Foley - the father of three young children - will spend the rest of Sunday at an eight-year-old's Harry Potter birthday party then enjoying the Cricket World Cup.


2 min read

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Source: AAP


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