Opposition leader Luke Foley has delivered a rousing speech to launch his 2015 election campaign, comparing the task of winning government next month to Australia's unlikely victory against England in the match that began the Ashes over a century ago.
Speaking to a crowd of about 600 party members and supporters including former prime minister Bob Hawke at the Campbelltown Catholic Club in south west Sydney, Mr Foley - a cricket tragic - said England needed to only score 85 runs in the 1882 match to beat Australia.
"But our greatest fast bowler - Fred Spofforth, 'The Demon' - told his teammates at the final change of innings: 'This thing can be done'. And they did it," Mr Foley told the gathering.
"In NSW, at this election, this thing can be done"
"Anyone who has lived through the last 10 years of Australian politics and says an election is unwinnable is a fool," he declared.
Mr Foley - who was introduced by former Labor minister and Newcastle MP Jodi McKay, who is seeking to win the seat of Strathfield -acknowledged the "devastating defeat" suffered by the ALP in 2011.
He described the last four years as "a journey back to our origins, to find our best self", likening Labor to the prodigal son who had to "examine ourselves, find humility, change and return home".
Unveiling Labor's election slogan of "a new approach" Mr Foley said that at the heart of the 2015 election was the question: can NSW change?
"Ours was the best-governed state in Australia for the 60 years that followed the Second World War," he said.
"And it saddens me, it angers me that on all sides of politics we haven't done better for the people of this state over the last eight years. The people of NSW deserve a new approach."
In his address, Mr Foley highlighted Labor's opposition to the Coalition government's promise to partially privatise the NSW electricity network, noting Premier Mike Baird has said the election would be a referendum on the issue.
"Bring it on!" Mr Foley said.
But he also unveiled new policies in education and health.
Mr Foley announced that under a Labor government every new school will have to include childcare or before and after school facilities on site.
"Co-locating primary schools and child care centres allows many working parents to avoid the 'double drop off' of childcare and school," he said.
He also said Labor would "substantially expand" available funding for new schools and upgrades of existing schools.
In another education pledge, Mr Foley said a Labor government would fund the training of 200 specialist maths and science teacher in primary schools.
Teachers would be trained for 20 days over a two-year period.
The promise would see $9.5 million spent on training, with the first 100 teachers starting training in 2016.
Labor would also provide $1.3 billion to build and upgrade schools and TAFE colleges.
In health, Mr Foley announced an additional $1.7 billion for infrastructure.
He promised to spend $6.2 million to end the $180 co-payment for chemotherapy services introduced by the current state government and pledged $100 million for a paediatric surgery centre at Campbelltown hospital.
Mr Foley said his opponent, NSW Premier Mike Baird. was "a polite fellow with a nice smile".
"But he's a Liberal Premier and he's making choices that hurt - choices to cut, choices to sell - not because he has to but because that's what he believes in," Mr Foley said.
"We are different people, he and I. I believe in something different ... a fair go for all."
Earlier, federal Labor leader Bill Shorten alluded to the impact on the NSW election campaign of the unpopularity of prime minister Tony Abbott and his government.
"These days, Tony Abbott only comes to NSW to collect the mail and put out the bins," he said.
Mr Shorten said Mr Baird was "missing in action" in relation to education and health funding cuts imposed on NSW at last year's federal budget, worth $2 billion over four years.
"Silence is not good enough from Mike Baird," Mr Shorten said.
"Standing back, folding your arms and smiling just doesn't cut it. The people of NSW deserve better.
"The people of NSW deserve a premier who will stand up for this great state and ... put [it] ahead of his political allies in Canberra," Mr Shorten said. "I know just the man - Luke Foley".
<a href="/interactive/2015/nsw-election/electorates/electorates.html?el=Campbelltown" _rte_href="/interactive/2015/nsw-election/electorates/electorates.html?el=Campbelltown">Key facts on NSW electorates</a>
