Legalise Cannabis is confident of winning its first seat in the NSW upper house, after early counting suggests it outpolled the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers and rivalled One Nation in its popularity among voters.
By Jordan Baker | March 27, 2023 — 3.32pm
Almost 25 per cent of the Legislative Council vote had been counted by late Monday, but the make-up of the chamber will not be confirmed for several weeks, until preferences are counted and votes are exhausted.
Early numbers suggested Labor could pick up eight spots, the Coalition six, and the Greens two, although the parties remained hopeful of more.
One Nation attracted just over 5 per cent of the vote in a slight swing against the party, suggesting it would pick up at least one spot. That would give the party three upper house seats, one more than in the last parliament.
Legalise Cannabis was the fifth most popular, and leader Jeremy Buckingham, a former Greens MLC, was confident of picking up a spot. He said the vote was “a massive breakthrough” for the party, which also has representatives in other states.