Barrie Unsworth Labor Nick Greiner Liberal/National coalition Elections to the 49th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday 19 March 1988.

Among these was the jailing of Labor's Minister for Corrective Services Rex Jackson in 1987 for accepting bribes for the early release of prisoners.

Additionally, Labor suffered a 22-percent primary vote swing in Wran's old seat of Bass Hill, allowing the Liberals to take it on a 103-vote margin.

Greiner campaigned on a promise to clean up state government, foreshadowing the establishment of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, as well as promising to freeze government expenditure, create 16,000 new employment and training positions, and pay more attention to law enforcement.

[4] Labor lost heartland seats including Balmain, Newcastle and Swansea for the first time since the turn of the century.