Bookmakers say Liberals are a shoo-in to win the WA election SHOO-IN: Colin Barnett's government will be easily returned at the state election, according to bookmakers. WA Labor and its leader Mark McGowan is expected to remain in opposition for another term. THE West Australian election campaign may be in full swing, but according to bookmakers the race is already over, with the Barnett government an almost unbackable $1.02 to win the poll on March 9. With Premier Colin Barnett and Labor leader Mark McGowan set to go head-to-head in a television debate on Tuesday, sportsbet.com.au says punters believe the election proper will be a no contest. The WA Liberals have been backed into $1.02, with Labor ballooning out to $10. Since the market was opened, sportsbet.com.au says money has come in at a staggering 19 to 1 in favour of the Liberals to remain in power. "In a two horse race, the Liberals are set to win by 15 lengths," sportsbet.com.au's Ben Hawes said. The Liberals and Labor started 2013 priced at $1.10 and $3.00 respectively, but since then punters have really let their thoughts be known and that is a Black Caviar-like win for Colin Barnett's team. On a national level, money is also flooding in for former prime minister Kevin Rudd to lead the Labor Party into the September 14 election. The latest polls have placed Opposition Leader Tony Abbott ahead of Prime Minister Julia Gillard in the preferred prime minister stakes, with Mr Rudd favoured by 61 per cent of respondents to just 35 per cent for Ms Gillard. And the punters money has followed, with Mr Rudd backed from $2.40 into $1.90 to launch a leadership challenge. There has been a groundswell of support for Rudd in the past week. He has said he won't challenge the leadership again but the punters and the polls say he will," Centrebet's Michael Felgate said. West Australian Premier Colin Barnett has missed an opportunity to pressure federal opposition leader Tony Abbott to back his call for a greater share of GST distributions to the state. Mr Barnett recently threatened to withhold financial support for the federal Liberal party's election campaign if Mr Abbott did not get behind the GST push. Soon after, Mr Abbott said his job was to be a national leader, "not just a parochial one." Mr Barnett made no mention of the GST at the WA Liberal party's official campaign launch in Perth yesterday, but he congratulated Mr Abbott for his opposition to the mining tax. WA opposition treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt said Mr Barnett had turned into a "puppy dog" during his federal counterpart's visit. An opposition plan for a sentencing council to review penalties handed down to wrongdoers in the state is a flawed concept and likely to be unconstitutional, West Australian Attorney-General Michael Mischin says.