Labor has a new communications spokeswoman in Michelle Rowland. In one of her first interviews, with The Guardian’s Katharine Murphy, she was asked whether The Daily Telegraph is influential in her north-western Sydney electorate. She said it certainly set the talking points:

“If the story of the day [in the Daily Telegraph] was about boats, or about debt — because I would be out door knocking, and calling people every day of the campaign, I would always notice that would be one of the dominant themes coming out.

“At the same time, I don’t know if they were swinging voters, I don’t know if they were reading News because it was reinforcing their view.”

Labor picked up picked up several seats at the Coalition’s expense in New South Wales this election, including the western Sydney seat of Macarthur.