“I wish the future Member for Cootamundra well in her term and look forward to working alongside her as a Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party Hilltops Councillor,” Mr Stadtmiller.

“This election, just like the Orange by-election, is a clear message to the Nationals that rural New South Wales cannot keep being taken for granted.

“On current numbers, we’ve received 24% of the vote, and the Nationals have suffered a 20% swing against them.

“If this swing in Cootamundra was repeated across the State, the Nationals would lose 12 seats, including that of Nationals Leader John Barilaro.

“The electorates they would lose includes: Upper Hunter, Monaro, Lismore, Tweed, Myall Lakes, Clarence, Tamworth, Oxley, Barwon, Coffs Harbour, Bathurst and Port Macquarie.

“When considering the result here, remember this: unlike the Nationals and Labor, the Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party doesn’t have branches in the Cootamundra electorate, and we don’t have a half-century history of a presence here.

“The Nationals threw everything at us, including fear campaigns based on tragedies here and overseas, and even had to resort to rolling-out a former Liberal Party Prime Minister to save them.

“I think that behind the scenes the Nationals are quite worried.

“The Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party will maintain a presence here in the Cootamundra electorate, and this by-election was a dress-rehearsal for the 2019 State election.

“As a Hilltops Councillor, I will continue to fight for our community against a State Government that systematically ignores us here.

“In the coming weeks we will learn the true plan for forced Police Local Area Command mergers, and see whether the Cootamundra electorate finally gets the attention it deserves.

“To everybody who voted for me, supported me, and believed in me: thank you.

“One in four people here has agreed with me that our electorate deserves better,” Mr Stadtmiller said.