Simon Earle was ready to stand for Labor in Cook; party officials said 'no'

But, the tap on the shoulder never came.

A short NSW Labor statement said, "Following extensive consultations across the party, including with the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party and our valued rank and file members, NSW Labor will not be fielding a candidate in the forthcoming Cook byelection".

The decision was expected but still flattened many Labor supporters in the shire, including senior members of the party.

Mr Earle acknowledged "a lot of people are disappointed".

"I was prepared to stand because that was what many people in the community expected," he said.

"But, it's the party's decision to make after looking meticulously at a range of factors."

With Mr Earle as the candidate for Cook in the May 2022 election, the swing to Labor was 6.6 per cent, but the Liberal Party still enjoys a margin of more than 12 per cent.

In the March 2023 state election, Mr Earle went close to pulling off a major upset in the seat of Miranda ,where Liberal Eleni Petinos managed to hang on thanks to superior organisation by the party.

Had Labor officials listened to local advice that the seat was winnable and allocated more resources, it could have been another gain for the Minns government.

On the night of that election, Mr Earle said, "The shire is ready for Labor".