Orange by-election: Talkback hosts Alan Jones and Ray Hadley credited for Nationals calamity in Orange by-election

THE vocal opposition of Alan Jones and Ray Hadley to the Baird Government and its greyhound ban has been credited by political strategists as helping late swing against the Nationals in its disastrous Orange by-election result.

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THE vocal opposition of Alan Jones and Ray Hadley to the Baird Government and its greyhound ban has been credited by political strategists as helping late swing against the Nationals in its disastrous Orange by-election result.

The 2GB broadcasters took their roadshows to Orange last week in a bid to get voters to send the government a message and it appears Macquarie St has heard it loudly and clearly.

Mr Hadley said that “it was beyond my wildest dreams they (the Nationals) could lose” Orange, adding he expected a 53-47 result for the Nationals at absolute worst for them.

Alan Jones and Ray Hadley broadcasting their show from the Orange Ex-Services Club ahead of the 's by-election. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“It’s a massive swing and I’d be most surprised if there is not a move against (Nationals leader Troy) Grant in light of it,” Mr Hadley said.

“I think I wanted them to feel chastened and to listen to people in future and I’m pretty sure they won’t be making decisions like the greyhound ban again, acting unilaterally without checking with the electorate.”

Mr Hadley would not be drawn on what influence he had had on the result but it is understood he has about a third of the local radio audience in his show on 2GZ.

Internal polling a week out showed the Nationals would suffer a 16-18 per cent swing — not the 21 per cent required to lose the seat.

Mr Jones said of the result: “I’m not surprised. I was there, unlike Baird and Grant — they weren’t — and the anger was palpable and the swings in some of the booths at Manildra were 70 per cent and I’m just mystified as to when this government’s going to start listening.”

Mr Jones said technically the greyhound racing ban was still in place as the government had only promised to repeal it next year after the greyhound racing panel led by former Labor premier Morris Iemma reported to them on a way forward for the industry.

“In relation to council amalgamations, the Coalition made a promise there’d be no forced amalgamations, the people of Cabonne [affected by the council merger]. they came from everywhere,” Jones said.

“The greyhounds ... the ban is still in place and I went out there to explain to them the ban is still in place.

“And that what the delay is they are waiting for the bureaucrats to get behind the scenes and destroy the industry via the back door.

“the judgement of the government is appalling.”

But Mr Jones said he did not think Mr Grant should be the only one to take the fall for the result.

“I think it would be very unfair if Troy Grant were blamed for it exclusively although he introduced the legislation but [Local Government Minister Paul] Toole introduced the legislation over forced amalgamations,” Mr Jones aid.

“I just don’t think Grant can be taking the blame for all of this, the whole of the cabinet went behind these decisions, their judgment is dreadful.

“I was concerned that decent honest people who don’t understand the political system actually believed the ban had ben reversed so my purpose of going out there was to say ‘listen’, to broadcast to that whole electorate area ‘its still in place, you’re at risk’.

“I said ‘this is a chance to be a referendum for the whole of NSW; Orange has got an opportunity to tell Macquarie Street that you can’t ignore people or walk over people,’ what influence that had over people I don’t know but at the same time, I did present the case rather repetitively and powerfully.”