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Labor leader Chris Minns has defeated Premier Dominic Perrottet in the final debate ahead of the New South Wales election on Saturday.
The Premier and Opposition Leader went head-to-head at the Englishheadline/The Daily Telegraph People’s Forum on Wednesday night in western Sydney.
Both leaders faced a series of tough questions from 100 undecided voters in Penrith, chosen by Q&A Market Research.
The Opposition Leader scored a major win securing almost half of the undecided voters at the People’s Forum.
Mr Minns’ pitch to the state, which focuses on healthcare and the government’s privatisation record, won him 48 per cent of the voters.
Only 32 per cent of the 100 undecided thought the Premier was the most impressive leader, while 20 per cent remain on the fence.
The results come as pre-election polls continue to show the race is tightening with Labor needing to gain nine seats to form a majority government and as few as four to lead the Coalition and put it in the best position in the event of a hung parliament.
During the election campaign, the Premier has been spruiking his government’s “long-term economic plan” and a suite of projects in his “infrastructure pipeline”.
Mr Minns has sharpened his focus on the state’s healthcare system, pledging to lift the public sector wage cap in a bid to lure and retain critical workers across public hospitals, schools and emergency services.
The Labor leader has also attacked the government’s budget “black hole” and has framed himself as a frugal economic manager.
