Punters prefer Turnbull and the Libs… or do they?

WHILE the polls have the Liberal and Labor parties neck and neck for the federal election, it depends which bookmaker you turn to as to where the money is going.

The Coalition is a firm $1.30 favourite with our friends at WilliamHill.com.au and, despite the latest news poll showing Labor ahead 51-49, the bookie says the money is all one way.

“Our market still has the Coalition a very firm favourite to emerge the winner on 2 July,” a spokesperson said.

“You can get $3.50 about Labor but the punters are showing more interest in taking the odds on of $1.30 about Malcolm Turnbull’s team.

“And if you think the opinion polls are an accurate reflection of the likely outcome then the $4 about a hung Parliament with neither the Coalition nor Labor having a House of Representatives majority should be attractive.”

But if you shift over to sportsbet.com.au, you will find that for every bet on the Coalition, there have been three bets on the red side since the election was called.

The bookie’s Be Bulmer reports the Coalition remains the $1.33 favourite to win the election, but the majority of punters have been tipping Labor to cause an upset at $3.25 since the Prime Minister called the election.

“The biggest bet on Labor to win election over the past 24 hours is $3000 for a potential $9750 payout,” Bulmer said.

“The biggest bet on the Coalition over that period is $1000, which will earn the punter $330.”

He said the Coalition was expected to claw ground back from Labor ahead of the next Newspoll. Sportsbet has a 50-50 result the $2.50 favourite for the next published Newspoll.

“Our odds have the Coalition firmly in front, but the punters keep telling us it will be Labor, with a spike in support for Bill Shorten’s team since the Prime Minister pulled the double dissolution trigger,” Bulmer said.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten kicked off the campaign by making 100 promises and Turnbull fired back by telling Australians the nation can’t afford those promises.

“I ask Australians when they hear these promises … to remember that Labor has no credible or coherent way to pay for them, other than through more debt and higher taxes,” Turnbull said.

“I will be seeking a mandate from the Australian people as the Prime Minister of this country to carry out this plan because we know that it will clear the way … for us to have the greatest years in our nation’s history.”

But Shorten deflected the Prime Minister’s attack.

“Let’s be clear, this election isn’t about Mr Turnbull or myself,’’ Mr Shorten said.

“It is about the Australian people. We are definitely ready. We are in this to win it.’’

2016 Federal Election markets

Next sworn-in government

$1.33 Coalition

$3.25 Labor

Next Newspoll

$16 53 – 47 Labor

$11 52 – 48 Labor

$3.50 51 – 49 Labor

$2.50 50 – 50

$3.50 51 – 49 Coalition

$7.50 52 – 48 Coalition

$21 Any Other

Odds provided by Sportsbet.com.au

Aliens on election day?

MAYBE our Malcolm likes a bit of sci-fi in his life.

It just so happens that he has set the Federal Election for Saturday, July 2, which falls on the same date as World UFO Day.

And forget the election betting odds, the zany bunch at sportsbet.com.au have released a bunch of quirky alien-related markets.

The bookie is giving the same $5001 to $1 chance of a UFO to land on earth on polling day as the world wide bookies gave Leicester City of winning the English Premier League at the start of the season.

And we all know how that panned out.

The bookie has rated alien life to be discovered on polling day as a $1001 chance.

If aliens do land while Australia is deciding whether Labor or Liberal should govern the country next term, Sportsbet.com.au has posted the Northern Territory as the $4 favourite to be their first location.

Western Australia is second favourite at $5 and Queensland is $7.50, next on the list.

Going even further, the bookie has controversial Senator Jacqui Lambie as the red hot $2 favourite to be endorsed by the aliens, with the Palmer United Party at $1001.

The bookie’s Christian Jantzen said some believe Clive Palmer may have been dropped by extra-terrestrials, but he is $1001 to exit Parliament in a UFO.

“Politicians have been compared to aliens, so it’s uncanny that the election and World UFO day coincide,” Jantzen said.

“Aliens have been casing Darwin for years, so it’s their most likely first destination.

“We just hope they don’t ask to be taken to our leader, because we won’t know who that is.”

Alien election specials

Alien Specials

$1,001 Alien Life to be discovered on polling day

$5,001 UFO to land on earth on polling day

Which party/independent will the aliens endorse

$2 Jacqui Lambie Network

$4 Greens

$5 Nationals

$6 Pauline Hanson

$11 Labor

$11 Liberal

$12 Tony Windsor

$101 Palmer United Party

Alien Day Specials

$1001 Clive Palmer to exit Parliament in a UFO

$1001 Christopher Pyne to fix a broken down UFO in 2016

Odds provided by Sportsbet.com.au