It comes after the Shooters sided with the Nationals Murray candidate Austin Evans and pledged their support for a Narrandera re-route of the Brisbane-Melbourne line.

“Our party has taken a look at the current proposals and we believe this is the best line,” Mr Stadtmiller said.

The Shooters candidate conceded a re-route would see the proposed Stockinbingal-Illabo section of the line abandoned, potentially depriving Cootamundra of an economic boost.

“Yes, if the line goes to Narrendera, Cootamundra won’t receive the possibility of that work,” he admitted.

“But from a regional point of view, we’re looking at the bigger picture here.”

Mr Stadtmiller’s statements drew the ire of the Federal Small Business Minister, who labelled his Shooters counterparts “disingenuous”. 

“People criticising it now have either not thought through or looked at the issues, or decided to be part of the action on where the route was going, until it was too late,” Mr McCormack said.

“It’s disingenuous of the Shooters and Fishers to come out now and begin criticising what is nation-building infrastructure.”

But the Shooters candidate hit back in saying he would not hesitate to exert his party’s influence in the upper house to achieve their goal. 

“We’ve been getting calls from the Nats that we can’t deliver but we have a balance of power in the upper house,” Mr Stadtmiller said.

“If we don't get what we want, we can block them and stall them. It’s not a threat – it’s just the reality we face.”