Labor odds ‘shorten’ in Corangamite fight

MEMBER for Corangamite Darren Cheeseman is firming as favourite in one of Australia’s most marginal seats ahead of the federal election, according to bookies.
Two of the countries leading online bookmakers now have him in front of his Liberal candidate despite her claims this week he was “misleading” the electorate with campaign advertisements and running from debate challenges.
Sportsbet has reversed its odds to rank Mr Cheeseman favourite against the Liberals’ Sarah Henderson $1.60 to $2. Last week Sportsbet had Ms Henderson as favourite at $1.70 to $1.85.
The other bookie, Sportingbet, has maintained last week’s odds of $1.75 to $2.05 in favour of Mr Cheeseman.
He holds Corangamite with a margin of .8 per cent after defeating veteran MP Stewart McArthur at the 2007 election.
Ms Henderson, a lawyer and former ABC journalist, accused Mr Cheeseman of publishing misleading advertisements claiming he was “moving the Geelong region forward” with projects including duplicating the Princes Highway and “delivering the Geelong ring road”.
“Construction on the Waurn Ponds to Winchelsea (duplication) has not yet begun and the Geelong ring road project was in fact delivered by the former Coalition Government,” she said.
“These advertisements are calculated to mislead the electorate.”
Ms Henderson also accused her rival of failing to accept her challenge of a live radio debate.
The debate was an important opportunity to “discuss issues of importance in regional Victoria”, she said.
Mr Cheeseman rubbished Ms Henderson’s attacks as “ludicrous”.
“The Liberal candidate is focussed on the most irrelevant, nit-picking issues and refusing to release any major policies,” he said.
“I’m working flat-out trying to win more major projects for our region and to get out on the street to talk to people about the dangers of returning to work choices and the foolishness of Tony Abbott in axing the entire renewable energy fund.”
Mr Cheeseman said he had already publicly debated Ms Henderson at a business network breakfast in Geelong earlie this year.
“There will be at least two other debates in the coming months, with one at a climate change forum in Geelong,” he said.
Media reports of the business network forum debate had Ms Henderson as the winner.