SA election 2018: Nick Xenophon rules out SA Best MPs in State Cabinet if his party holds balance of power
POTENTIAL kingmaker Nick Xenophon has again publicly ruled out any successful SA Best MPs taking a State Cabinet posting as he questioned why the public sector’s planning for such an eventuation.
SA 2018
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA 2018. Followed categories will be added to My News.
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POTENTIAL kingmaker Nick Xenophon has again publicly ruled out any successful SA Best MPs taking a State Cabinet posting as he questioned why the public sector’s planning for such an eventuation.
The Advertiser on Friday revealed how major departments are compiling a briefing document for the possibility either an SA Best MP or another “independent” is appointed to the ministry.
Traditionally before each poll, senior bureaucrats develop the “Incoming Government Brief” with critical department information and background for either a new Labor or Liberal minister.
Mr Xenophon has triggered an unprecedented three-way race for power after his shock announcement in October last year that he would quit the Senate and contest the eastern, and north eastern, suburbs seat of Hartley.
He has, however, consistently played down his chances of forming government with either Jay Weatherill’s Labor or Steven Marshall’s Liberals.
SA Best is now fielding candidates in 29 seats, more than the 24 needed to form government in its own right.
It is understood there is a belief within the party that it has a good chance of “forming government”.
Speaking on Friday, Mr Xenophon again publicly ruled out any successful MPs taking a Cabinet seat if his party was to hold the “balance of power”.
He did not, however, rule out ministry postings if his party was to win a lion share of the vote after the March 17 poll. He described the public service plans as “rather fanciful”.
“We need to win the seats in the first place,” he told The Advertiser. “I think people should not get ahead of themselves. It is going to be tough.
“I think there is a lot of hype. It depends on the number of seats but just to get the balance of power is a huge task.
“It has never been done before. I don’t think we should get carried away. It is a matter of arithmetic.”
He added: “I would have thought the good men and women of the public service had better things to do and tackling more pressing problems rather than some hypothetical speculation.”
But Dignity Party MLC Kelly Vincent called for all parties “to rule in or out, a multi-party cabinet as part of any future government for South Australia”.
“It is very likely that a lot of deal-making will be done in the days following this election, deals that will determine the actual leadership, governance and future of South Australia,” she said.
“Voters deserve to know the intentions of those that are asking for their vote — before the election.
“If the public service is preparing for SA Best ministers as a possibility, then the people of South Australia deserve to know who Nick Xenophon has singled out as potential ministers, and what are the qualities that make them suitable.”
She added: “Nick Xenophon’s favourite saying is ‘end the duopoly’ of a two party system. We say end the duplicity of so-called leaders and their double standards.”
Both Mr Weatherill and Mr Marshall have publicly attacked Mr Xenophon’s party and his campaign.
While Mr Marshall has ruled out dealing with Mr Xenophon, Mr Weatherill has not.
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