Michael Daley has outlined his priorities ahead of the March election in his first comments since being elected New South Wales Labor leader following the resignation of Luke Foley.

Meanwhile, the Liberal MP accused of unleashing the scandal which claimed Foley’s leadership has apologised to the reporter at the centre of the allegations.

In a press conference following his victory on Saturday afternoon, Daley said his policy priorities would be reducing tolls on western Sydney roads, driving down energy bills through the growth of renewable energy, providing jobs to the suburbs and regions of NSW, and making Sydney more livable.

He also promised to fight the government’s “wasteful” investment in stadiums and divert funds to Tafe, schools and hospitals.

Daley vowed to win the next state election. “The Labor party stands today as a united team, ready to govern. We are full of fighting spirit, we are hungry, we will win the election in March 2019,” he said.

“I am not here to save the furniture. We are here to win the 2019 election. And that is what we will do for the people who rely so heavily on us.”

His elevation to the leadership follows Foley’s resignation after the ABC journalist Ashleigh Raper issued a statement alleging he put his hand through the back of her dress and groped her at a 2016 Christmas party.

Foley has denied the allegation but said he won’t seek re-election to parliament.

Liberal minister David Elliott was heavily criticised, from inside and outside his own party, for using the scandal to score political points after he aired the allegation in parliament last month.

Elliott said he was “deeply sorry for the hurt” his comments caused to Raper.

“It was completely unintentional,” he said in a statement on Saturday.

“I have every intention of respecting Ms Raper’s wishes and letting her get on with her life.”

In Saturday afternoon’s caucus meeting, Daley received 33 of 45 votes, while Chris Minns received 12.

The switch left Daley’s deputy Labor leader job open, and the only nominee, Penny Sharpe, was picked as his replacement.

Daley, who grew up on a dairy farm on the north coast, made a pitch to “forgotten” regional voters, saying he would deliver a fairer deal as they had been left behind by a Sydney-centric Liberal government.

The Labor leader said he was from the suburbs where he had seen the struggles ordinary people went through and where he had forged his admiration for working people.

“My first job as an 11- or 12-year-old was delivering newspapers in south Maroubra through the housing estates.”

He pledged to make Sydney more liveable and to “stop the unfairness and overdevelopment in the planning system”.

He also pledged to ease the cost of living and “drive down energy bills through regulation, and through the growth of the local renewable energy sector”.

It remains unclear whether Foley intends to remain in parliament until the next election, although it is understood that if he does so, he will probably be dumped from the party and be forced to sit on the crossbench.