The controversial decision to delay federal by-elections until late July will squeeze the finances of minor party candidates.

Key points: Liberal Party believes Georgina Downer has a better chance of winning Mayo because Rebekha Sharkie's finances will run dry

Liberal Party believes Georgina Downer has a better chance of winning Mayo because Rebekha Sharkie's finances will run dry By-election campaigning will stretch out for nine weeks to avoid school holidays and give AEC time to sort out new regulations

By-election campaigning will stretch out for nine weeks to avoid school holidays and give AEC time to sort out new regulations Independents and crossbenchers are rallying around Ms Sharkie

Speaker Tony Smith announced yesterday by-elections for the seats of Mayo, Longman, Braddon, Perth and Fremantle would be held on July 28.

The ABC understands the Liberal Party believes its candidate, Georgina Downer, has a better chance of winning the Adelaide seat of Mayo, partly because nine weeks will run Centre Alliance candidate Rebekha Sharkie's war chest dry.

However, the spate of by-elections is putting financial pressure on all sides of politics as it is draining the resources they would prefer to spend on the federal election due in the next 12 months.

Ms Sharkie quit Parliament earlier this month for being a dual citizen and is now trying to regain Mayo for Centre Alliance, but is counting every campaign dollar.

"I put a second mortgage on the house last campaign and I haven't finished paying that off yet," she said.

"I can't put a third mortgage on it. I don't think the banks would like that very much.

"I don't know if I would call it a war chest, I would probably call it a shoe box.

"But what I do have is a growing list of volunteers and I will be running this campaign on people power."

Money v people power

Ms Sharkie might not have much money behind her, but her crossbench cheer squad in Canberra is growing louder and bigger.

Queensland MP Bob Katter has been the first to visit Mayo and spent two days campaigning with Ms Sharkie this week.

"She votes intelligently and she votes with her conscience and that is what we desperately need in the Parliament," he said.

Mr Katter insisted he was under no illusion that money could win votes, but pointed to the number of people now backing independents and minor parties.

"It will be extremely difficult … she has no money at all to campaign with, where as her opponents have virtually an unlimited war chest … but there is a sea change occurring out there," he said.

Queensland MP Bob Katter has been supporting Rebekha Sharkie (behind) in Mayo. ( ABC News: Nick Haggarty )

Independent Victorian MP Cathy McGowan confirmed she would also visit Ms Sharkie in the lead-up to the by-election and offered to attend fundraising events to help raise money.

"The big parties, they are massive machines, they have huge amounts of money," she said.

"They [the Liberal Party] want to get that Mayo seat back and the cost to Australia of not having these strong, independent regional voices will be enormous."

Another independent MP, Tasmanian Andrew Wilkie, also said he was planning a visit to Mayo to support Ms Sharkie.

"I think its self-evident from the amount of support Beckie is getting from the crossbench that we all have a high opinion of her and we want to see her return to the Parliament," he said.

Both Ms McGowan and Mr Wilkie said they would personally pay for their trips to Mayo and not use their travel allowance.

Labor still stewing over ALP conference date clash

Labor and the crossbench are furious the five by-elections are not being held sometime before July 28.

The Government argued the date would avoid school holidays and give the Australian Electoral Commission time to roll out a new citizenship checklist.

Ms McGowan said the decision was a huge mistake and would annoy voters who had to wait nine weeks.

"I think they [the voters] would have preferred the decision over and done with really quickly," she said.

The ALP National Conference was scheduled to end on the day of the by-elections.

That clash means Labor activists will have to choose between campaigning in the final days of the five polls and attending the conference.

ALP president Mark Butler said the party had little choice but to postpone the national meeting.

"Obviously we're not going to hold a national conference during by-elections in five different electorates across the country," Mr Butler said.

But not everyone is opposed to the date, with One Nation candidate for Longman Matthew Stephen seeing the positive side.

"It gives me more time to knock on more doors," he said.

"I'm not sure why Labor is complaining, it's their fault we are here in this situation now."

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