Nick Xenophon fears ‘dirty preference deal’ by major parties to keep NXT out of lower house

THE major parties could dash Senator Nick Xenophon’s hopes of his party gaining a seat in the lower house of federal parliament.

Nick Xenophon, right, with candidate for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie at the Aldgate Valley community hall. Pic: Kelly Barnes/The Australian

THE major parties could dash Senator Nick Xenophon’s hopes of his party gaining a seat in the lower house of federal parliament.

The Nick Xenophon Team is hoping to get at least three candidates elected to the Senate, and is also running candidates for the House of Representatives.

Much attention has been focused on the threat he poses to prominent Liberals Christopher Pyne in Sturt and Jamie Briggs in Mayo.

A poll released last week showed even Grey — a safe Liberal seat with a 13.6 per cent margin — could be in trouble.

As preference deals edged closer to being finalised yesterday, neither the Coalition nor Labor would say where NXT would figure.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull scotched talk of a deal with the Greens to defeat Labor, saying “the Liberal Party will preference the Greens below Labor in every seat our party contests” but did not say where they would put NXT.

“A Labor-Greens-independent minority government would be a disaster for Australia and return to the economic chaos of the Gillard-Rudd years,” he said.

“The choice at this election is stark: a continuation of strong, stable majority government with a clear economic plan, or Bill Shorten falling across the line by forming a Labor-Greens-independent minority government.”

There is speculation that in return for Liberal preferences, Labor might preference the Liberal Party above NXT to make sure Mr Pyne and Mr Briggs were safe.

Labor National secretary George Wright also said there was “no deal”.

“Labor has been open to talks with Nick Xenophon about how we could make sure we protect Medicare in SA from privatisation, how we stop Liberal cuts to SA schools, health and jobs but he has refused to come to any arrangement to achieve these outcomes,” he said.

“There is no deal from Labor to preference the Nick Xenophon Team or the Liberals.”

Senator Xenophon’s preferences could prove crucial, but he has not yet declared his hand. The Advertiser revealed on the weekend that if the major parties did a deal to lock him out, he could pick one side or the other.

Pre-poll voting opens tomorrow. Senator Xenophon said he had worked constructively with both sides but feared a “dirty deal” between them was imminent.

“Voters will see through such a cynical deal,” he said.

“In public, Labor and Liberal shout at each other across the table, swearing that they’re mortal enemies but it seems that underneath the table, they’re playing footsies.”

Visibly angry Greens leader Richard di Natale said the two major parties were protecting their “duopoly”, borrowing Senator Xenophon’s simile of Coles and Woolworths.

“What we know is that this had nothing to do with principles and everything to do with the dirty deal between the Liberal Party and the Labor Party,” he said.