SA election polls: Leaders react to final Advertiser-Galaxy polls before voting weekend

HOW the leaders reacted to the final four Advertiser-Galaxy state election polls.

• Election HQ: See the latest news, analysis, videos and data maps
• Mad Monday 1 — Lee, Morialta: Rising frontbench stars in jeopardy
• Mad Monday 2 — Heysen, Giles: Xenophon candidates in the hunt
• Mad Monday 3 — Frome, Morphett, Florey: Independents in the lead
• Troppo Tuesday 4 — Hartley, Dunstan, Mawson, Taylor

HERE’S how the leaders reacted to the final four Advertiser-Galaxy state election polls:

SA Best Leader Nick Xenophon: “This is a two horse race ...” Picture: AAP / Tracey Nearmy

NICK XENOPHON

Mr Xenophon said the race in Hartley “is going to go down to the wire” but urged voters to “ignore” Labor and the Greens saying a vote for those parties would “deliver the seat to the Liberals”.

“This is a two horse race between me and Mr Tarzia,” he said.

“An inept Opposition won’t make for a good government. We don’t want to give Steven Marshall and the Liberals a blank cheque.”

Mr Xenophon estimated he had doorknocked “many hundreds” of houses in the electorate but conceded that was “not enough”.

“It should have been in the many thousands,” he said.

“I feel a bit like Vegemite — I’ve been spread a bit thin. But people know me from the work I’ve done over many years.”

Mr Xenophon conceded the poll placed him as the underdog.

“I want people’s vote, not their sympathy,” he said.

While he would not contemplate losing on Saturday, Mr Xenophon did say there “would need to be a parliamentary leader (of SA Best) if I don’t make it” into Parliament.

Asked where he believed the party had the best chance of picking up seats, Mr Xenophon said electorates including Giles, Port Adelaide, Taylor, Kavel, Heysen, Hammond, Chaffey, Narungga, Mawson and Finniss were “in contention”.

Premier Jay Weatherill. Picture: AAP / David Mariuz

JAY WEATHERILL

Asked ahead of the release of the poll results, Premier Jay Weatherill said Liberal Leader Steven Marshall was “replicating the last campaign” and “offering nothing new for the people of SA”.

“The more people that realise that Nick (Xenophon) is a former Liberal and he voted with the Liberals to cut $210 million from local schools, votes just peel off him,” Mr Weatherill said.

“When we have conversations with people that’s exactly what they’re telling us.

“We’re making jobs our number one priority.”

Liberal leader Steven Marshall. Picture: AAP / Tracey Nearmy

STEVEN MARSHALL

Mr Marshall urged voters to support the Liberals, arguing that any other option would result in another four years of a “tired” Labor Government.