Victorious Liberal incumbent for Heathcote Lee Evans blamed a concentration of ‘‘union pressure’’ in his electorate for a 11.5 per cent swing to the opposition - one of the highest in the state.
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Mr Evans said he was tired and emotional with the campaign made more difficult by the loss of his mother three weeks ago.
‘‘I’m glad its over, I’m proud to stay on representing my electorate but the opposition threw everything they had at us,’’ he said
Mr Evans said Unions NSW had disproportionately allocated resources to fight his re-election, saying his opponent Maryanne Stuart had strong union ties.
‘‘Obviously a lot of time and money was spent giving her a good chance,’’ he said
‘‘But ultimately the results showed the truth but that was the most satisfying seeing them spend a lot and that it came to nothing.’’
Ms Stuart denied she got preferential treatment from the unions.
‘‘Unions have been active all over the state on campaigns such as TAFE privitisation and the electricity sell-off,’’ she said
Ms Stuart said that despite her loss she was proud to have achieved a considerable swing against the incumbent.
The swing was unexpected after the electorate’s boundaries moved north, increasing the Liberal margin by close to 20 per cent, according to ABC analysis.
Mr Evans said he looked forward to spending time with his family and meeting with people in his electorate until his return to Macquarie street in May this year.
