The Australian expresses concern that if Senator Xenophon is successful in the SA election he could have too much power in both SA houses and the Senate.
The leader of the Nick Xenophon Team (NXT) plans to run in the eastern Adelaide seat of Hartley in the South Australian state election early next year.
The Australian points out that the decision could have profound repercussions on both federal and SA political dynamics.
The paper explains that under his SA-Best banner he hopes to hold the balance of power in both the lower and upper houses on Adelaide’s North Terrace. So Senator Xenophon hopes not only to influence legislative results in the upper house but also to decide who will form government. And it says this throws a wildcard into the March poll.
The Australian argues that the state’s crisis in power prices and reliability, as well as a poorly performing economy and a host of health and welfare scandals, have placed Labor on the ropes. It also says If Nick Xenophon’s SA-Best party can win just a handful of seats in the 47-member lower house it could decide who governs. Therefore, the paper stresses that Senator Xenophon must be honest with voters about which major party he would support for government.
This means that the state should not have to outsource its decision to Senator Xenophon’s post-election deals.
