SA Best likely to win at least three seats in SA election, Galaxy poll shows

SA BEST is poised to claim at least three seats at the state election, putting its leader Nick Xenophon in the role of kingmaker, polls suggest — as he says he’s mortgaged his home to fund the campaign.

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SA BEST is poised to claim at least three seats at the state election, putting its leader Nick Xenophon in the role of kingmaker, new polls suggest.

The surveys of key seats in Adelaide’s south and east were taken by respected firm Galaxy for an industry group.

They show SA Best with a winning position in Hartley, the Cambelltown-based seat Mr Xenophon hopes to take from the Liberals in his return to State Parliament.

SA Best is also strong in Hurtle Vale, based around Woodcroft in Adelaide’s south and held by Labor MP Nat Cook.

Tourism Minister Leon Bignell is also staring down a loss to SA Best in Mawson, which runs from McLaren Vale to Kangaroo Island.

The figures show SA Best with the highest primary vote in all three seats and likely to secure victory on preferences.

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Mr Xenophon records a 37 per cent primary in Hartley, with SA Best on 38 per cent in Mawson and 33 per cent in Hurtle Vale. The surveys were taken a fortnight ago.

Since then, both major parties have run negative campaigns against Mr Xenophon to fight off threats to more than half the seats in Parliament.

Other polling has shown Mr Xenophon’s party a likely threat in the Mitcham foothills seat of Waite, held by retiring MP Martin Hamilton-Smith.

SA Best remains strong in the federal Adelaide Hills seat of Mayo, which it won in 2016.

Mr Xenophon said the fact that his party was polling well in seats held by both Liberals and Labor showed voters were “sick of the major parties” and looking for new direction.

Meanwhile, he says he has taken out a half-a-million-dollar loan to fund SA Best’s campaign, part of which is covering $20,000 buy-in fees expected from candidates.

Mr Xenophon has asked his candidates to stump up the funds, which he says are a contribution towards nomination fees and campaign material.

It has emerged only some SA Best candidates were being forced to find the money themselves. Mr Xenophon said others were being offered loans he funded by mortgaging assets including his house.

“There are some seats where I have put my money where my mouth is,” he said. “I’m taking out a significant loan in excess of half a million dollars.

“To run a campaign can cost a significant amount of money to get your message across. We don’t have ... big unions and big business.”