rent control was to be introduced for pensioners. Askin, in addition, promised to recruit more police, and provide more resources for mental health and district hospitals. Results Prior to the election, Independent Frank Purdue had gained the seat of Waratah from the Labor Party at a by-election caused by the death of Edward Greaves. Sam Jones regained the seat for Labor at the general election. Despite a strong swing of more than 5% to the Coalition, the result of the election remained in doubt for two weeks. The effects of a long incumbency bolstered by the cumulative effects of a number of re-distributions limited Labor's losses to nine seats. In several of these the margin of defeat was less than 300 votes. In the final result the Coalition had 47 seats, one short of a majority. However, it could rely on the support of two conservative independents--Douglas Darby, a former Liberal who was subsequently readmitted to the party room, and Harold Coates, who had won the seat of Hartley. After providing a Speaker, the coalition was able to form a government with a three-seat majority in the Assembly, ending 24 years and eight terms of Labor government. Liberal 31 seats Independent Liberal 1 seat Country Party 16 seats Australian Labor Party 45 seats Independent 1 seat The DLP contested 28 seats and, while it gained less than 2.5% of the statewide primary vote, its preferences strongly favoured the coalition and were vital to its success. The Communist party was reduced to 13 candidates who received negligible support. Seats changing party representation This table lists changes in party representation since the 1965 election Key dates Results {{Australian elections/Title row | table style = float:right;clear:right;margin-left:1em; | title = New South Wales state election, 1 May 1965 | house = Legislative Assembly | series = New South Wales state election | back = 1962 | forward = 1968 | enrolled = 2,256,568 | total_votes = 2,083,361 | turnout % = 93.91 | turnout chg = −0.09 | informal = 42,571 | informal % = 2.04 | informal chg = +0.50 }} |} {{ bar box |float=right| title=Popular vote | titlebar=#ddd | width=600px | barwidth=410px | bars= }} Aftermath Robert Askin and Charles Cutler became Premier and Deputy Premier in New South Wales' first conservative government for 24 years. Renshaw became Leader of the Opposition, a post he held throughout the term of the