Bookies say little to split Nats and Shooters in byelections

The vote for each seat – triggered by the resignations of sitting Nationals members – will take place on October 14.

There’s also a byelection for the Labor-held seat of Blacktown on the same day. 

The fight to replace Katrina Hodgkinson in Cootamundra is pretty much even, according to the online bookie, with Nats hopeful Steph Cooke ($1.67) edging Shooters candidate Matthew Stadtmiller ($1.72).

The Nats and Murray candidate Austin Evans have been given a slightly better chance of retaining the seat held by the resigning Adrian Piccoli, $1.72 favourite over the Shooters’ Helen Dalton, a former NSW Nationals member herself. 

“The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers have the big parties in their sights according to the betting and could potentially have two seats when votes are counted,’’ said sportsbet.com.au’s Will Byrne.

In both seats, there’s daylight between the top two candidates and the rest. 

In Cootamundra, Country Labor’s Charlie Sheahan is an $18 outsider, followed by the Christian Democrats’ Philip Langfield, while The Greens’ Jeffrey Passlow has been given the same odds as controversial Australia First candidate Jim Saleam. 

In Murray, former NSW Nationals member-turned independent Peter Robinson is third favourite at $15, followed by Michael Kidd of Country Labor at $26. 

As expected, it’s been a spicy few weeks in both regional electorates. 

Among the highlights were claims, counterclaims and calls for dis-endorsement over a Nazi slur on social media, and assertions that a candidate ‘rejected’ the advances of one party to run for another. 

In the 2016 Orange by-election, Shooters, Fishers and Farmers shocked the Nationals by taking a large chunk of the vote in a traditionally safe seat.