Wagga is set for a short byelection campaign that could help the government reclaim the seat, according to a politics academic.
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Charles Sturt University associate professor in political science Dominic O'Sullivan said the Liberals were looking for an advantage when byelection date was set for September 8.
“There’s obviously no advantage to the Liberals in running a long campaign,” he said.
“It’s a safe seat and they expect to win it. The more time spent in a campaign, the more time there is for something to go wrong.”
Some Wagga residents have complained abut the byelection clashing with their weekend plans with a few posting on social media that they would take advantage of early voting.
Associate professor O'Sullivan said Australian and New Zealand elections had seen rising numbers of early voters.
“It’s a matter of convenience as Saturday is a busy time for many people with sport and work and family commitments,” he said.
“Huge numbers of people are casting early votes and it makes it difficult for candidates as, in the past you knew that everybody was a potential voter in the last few days of the campaign and you talked to everybody.”
Labor candidate for Wagga Dan Hayes claimed an advantage in the date.
“The byelection has been called for the 8th of September. It’s my mum’s birthday so we should give her a great gift of winning the election,” Mr Hayes posted on Instagram.
Speaking in Sydney on Tuesday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the Wagga byelection would be tough for the Liberal Party.
“It’s going to be really difficult for us to hold, I don’t shy away from that,” she said.
“I think it will come down to every single vote and we will be working very hard to demonstrate to the community that we will continue to deliver for them.”
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The Nationals agreed not to their own candidate against the Liberals.
Liberal Party delegates are due on August 11 to chose a candidate from the nominees of Snowy Valleys deputy mayor and paramedic John Larter, Snowy Valleys councillor Julia Ham, former electorate staffer Sarah Lawrance and Australian Army officer Stephanie Roe.
The Daily Advertiser understands that the Greens have started a preselection process and the party hoped to name its Wagga candidate by August 13 or 14.