But the real work to make those plans a reality is only just starting.

Mr Baird – indeed, every conservative MP returned on Saturday – has already claimed a mandate from the people of NSW to sell off 49 per cent of the state’s electricity network, but the issue is far from clear-cut.

It will take some time to determine the final make-up of the Upper House and it will only be after those numbers are in that we can determine just what sort of mandate the government has.

It’s already clear that many people who supported the Coalition in the Lower House also voted Greens or Labor in the Upper House.

This is becoming a regular tactic among Australian voters who are suspicious of giving either party unfettered power in both houses.

And while we can’t say for sure what policies voters had in mind when they split their votes on Saturday, it’s a fair bet that nagging doubts over the electricity privatisation played some role.

Coalition MPs will predictably taunt and criticise their Labor opponents for not supporting the privatisation bills once they’re introduced in parliament, but Labor MPs should steadfastly stand their ground.

Voters who ticked Labor on Saturday did so knowing the party opposed privatisation and now is no time to change that stance.

That’s not being obstructive; that’s staying true to your word.

So without control of the Upper House, the Baird Government will have to convince minor party MPs of the merits of their plan in order to get their legislation through.

And that’s exactly the way our bicameral system is designed to work.

When Coalition MPs over the next few days claim a mandate on electricity privatisation, what they should be claiming is a mandate to introduce the bills in the Lower House.

But only the final numbers in the Upper House will determine whether there is a clear mandate to actually bring those bills into law.