News 
 National News 
 National 
 General 
 Punters in last-minute plunge on Coalition 

Punters in last-minute plunge on Coalition

20 Aug, 2010 09:15 AM
Hundreds of punters have raced to place bets on a Coalition victory on the back of opinion polls showing late support for Tony Abbott becoming prime minister.

The leaders' faces today seemed to reflect their rapidly changing electoral fortunes - with the Opposition Leader sporting a winner's grin in the midst of his 36-hour overnight campaign, and Prime Minister Julia Gillard in a more grim-faced appeal to voters about not allowing a return to Work Choices.

Leading betting agency, Centrebet, has seen three Coalition bets placed for every one for Labor in the past few hours, reflecting voter sentiment with Newspoll showing the government's primary vote plunging to 35 per cent and diving to a tie on 50-50 on the two party preferred vote.

As a result of the plunge, the Coalition has moved from $3.72 overnight to $3 even - and Centrebet's spokesman, Neil Evans, said that was likely to shorten further.

Labor is still a firm favourite to win, easing slightly to $1.36, but this reflected a number of large bets placed in the first weeks of the campaign, Mr Evans said.

"There are a lot of people now clambering to get on the Coalition," Mr Evans said.

Rival agency, Sportingbet Australia, reported a similar overnight trend, with the Coalition firming from $3.60 into $3.15.

Sportingbet Australia's chief executive, Michael Sullivan, said punters had declared the Coalition near-certainties to take marginal seats such as Bennelong, Macarthur and Macquarie in New South Wales and a string of other seats in Queensland and Western Australia.

In Bennelong, Labor's Maxine McKew has drifted to $2.50, but Liberal candidate, John Alexander, has firmed from $2.50 at this time last week into $1.45 favouritism.

The chances of a hung parliament are also firming in the market, with Centrebet's odds going from $3.30 last night to $2.75 today.

Print
Increase Text Size
Decrease Text Size

comments


Date: Newest first | Oldest first
I'm sick of hearing Labor go on about Work Choices when it isn't even an issue in this election. It's already been stated that Work Choices is dead... is Julia deaf?? It's the only thing the Labor party can use to try and scare people into voting for them. I certainly hope it doesn't work.
Posted by Rhonda, 20/08/2010 10:57:42 AM
This is the Change that we need to revive AUSTRALIA - Coallition National Country Party/Liberal You never will regreat it. Obamania does not work. At list we have all Aussie chucks in this race, not a Terrorist President as happen in USA right now and a country invaded by people unknown their backgorund and crippling hopes. Best wishes Australia..! We must follow lieaderships as it was with John Howard mates and come on top of the world once again.
Posted by W, 20/08/2010 11:16:16 AM
I ask this; why does Ms Gillard keep saying "IF I AM RE-ELECTED". SHE WAS NEVER AND, WILL NOT BE ELECTED IN THE FIRST PLACE! We all know how she got to where she is today, JILL THE KNIFE! Then there is the schools halls, pink batts, mining taxes to screw up our best performing industry and biggest employer, plus super funds taking a massive dive because she wanted easy money from our miners to pay off her bills, 60 odd Billion dollars over run in the purse area, and our immigration in a TOTAL MESS. For anyone to be even thinking of voting for her to be the BOSS OF AUSTRALIA is just too scary to contemplate.
Posted by Chris, 20/08/2010 11:52:12 AM
Mark my words..if the Liberals get in tomorrow a Howard agenda is what Mr Abbott & Co will bring as a government...only ten times worse.
Posted by dusty, 20/08/2010 12:15:27 PM
Following the trails of both leaders, I will go for Tony. It seems to me that he can be peoples PM
Posted by Debbie, 20/08/2010 12:52:45 PM
Rhonda, the Liberals also said there would never be a GST. Don't you remember.
Posted by oldtimer, 20/08/2010 12:57:54 PM
my father appreciated the bats in his roof to help with heating in his home , the local school have now a school hall The miners wanted tax reform, which was designed by Treasurery an independant department Have you ever seen a poor Millionaire Work choices can still be an open policy for Liberal as Tony Abbott had been taught by an expert how to tell untruths, eg... GST, children over board
Posted by susie, 20/08/2010 2:18:58 PM
Oldtimer...A good proportion of the voting electorate has a memory to rival a goldfish...less than 5 minutes. Abbott & Co will waste no time and make all his un-popular changes in his first year then roll a the cash splash hand-outs prior to the next election. The tried and true Howard way to get re-elected.
Posted by dusty, 20/08/2010 2:47:48 PM
Ah Dusty and Oldtimer. You two do indeed prove that you both have goldfish memories. Howard went to an election with a GST platform. He was elected. Get over it! A random scattering of sales tax was removed, including the 25% tax on electrical which dropped to 10% with GST. You must feel so hard done by as you sit there and type on your computer with a 10% tax. Poor darlings, just say thanks, JWH, for saving me 15%!!
Posted by Bluealltheway, 20/08/2010 4:59:10 PM
Voting Lib's Lower House and Democratic Labor Party in the senate to stop the greens getting thier grubby hands on the senate.
Posted by notvitinggreens, 20/08/2010 8:05:30 PM
1 | 2  |  next >

post a comment


Screen name  *
Email address  *
Remember me?
Comment  *
 
We invite and encourage our readers to post comments. Comments are moderated and will appear as soon as our editor has approved them. When posting comments you agree to be bound by our Terms and Conditions.

Most popular articles




 SEND...
 SAVE...
 SHARE...