Voters in seats of Frome and Fisher want Geoff Brock and Bob Such to side with Liberals - but decision still days away

SA’s two kingmaker independents won’t make a decision on who to support until at least the weekend, as polls show their electorates want a Liberal government. TAKE POLL

ONE of South Australia’s kingmaker independents says he won’t be swayed by polling that shows that his electorate overwhelmingly wants a Liberal government.

Exclusive Advertiser-Galaxy polls in the independent-held seats of Frome (Port Pirie) and Fisher (Happy Valley) show a combined 60 per cent of voters want their MPs to back the Liberals as negotiations continue over formation of the state’s next government.

That compares with 31 per cent who want them to back Labor.

However, Fisher voters prefer Premier Jay Weatherill as state leader over Opposition Leader Steven Marshall.

The respondents also want the independents to make a decision based on what is best for the state, rather than just the most attractive deal for their electorate.

Frome MP Geoff Brock met with local councils in his Mid North electorate on Tuesday before making the drive back to Adelaide for more negotiations with the leaders.

He met with Mr Marshall about 12.30pm and is anticipating further meetings with the leaders later this week before reaching a decision.

Mr Brock said the upgrade of the Nyrstar lead smelter at Port Pirie was a top priority.

The Belgian owner of the smelter has committed to a $350 million upgrade, which is supported by both the Labor and Liberal parties.

Labor last year granted major project status to a $350 million upgrade of the Nyrstar plant and committed $5 million to begin the clean-up of environmental issues, mainly the lead dust emissions which risk the long-term health of the city’s children.

Ahead of his meeting with Mr Marshall, Mr Brock said the Nyrstar project was “first up and foremost” on his agenda.

“I want to get that one over the line, not only for Port Pirie but for the whole region and the whole state,” he said.

“The transformation of the Nyrstar Project was bipartisan support through the Parliament.”

Mr Brock said he had not yet had detailed discussions on the Liberal party’s policy on Nyrstar.

News_Image_File: Independent MP Geoff Brock (third from right) meets with the mayors and council CEO's in his electorate in his office in Port Pirie. Picture: Tom Huntley

Mr Brock said he was unlikely to make a final call before Monday and would consider the poll results alongside the deals being offered for his electorate, the parties’ plans for regional and broader SA as well as the views of his local councils.

He said he did not feel pressured to side with the Liberals despite the results of the Advertiser-Galaxy poll.

Following his meeting with Mr Marshall, Mr Brock said there was “no frontrunner” and his mind remained “wide open” to the arguments of both sides.

He said he would likely run for Parliament again in 2018 and if voters punished him at that poll for the decision he is set to make “I’ll wear that”.

Mr Brock will also consult the SA Council of Social Services and Local Government Association in coming days.

“Look, it’s a bloody hard decision quite frankly and it’s a decision that with all due respects I wish I didn’t have (to make),” he said late Tuesday.

“All I wanted to do was get back in. I got back in with an increased majority, which is great, and all of a sudden I’ve got this thing on my shoulders.

“I’m going to take into consideration all the things I can.”

Mr Brock said he planned to run again at the next election and was aware he risked a backlash if he went against the wishes of his community.

“It goes through your mind, but I’m not thinking (about) the short-term,” he said. “I’m trying to do all the balances I can and that’s why I don’t want to run into it. The more information I can look at, the more for me to think about”

In Frome, where 317 respondents were polled, 53 per cent wanted Mr Brock to back the Liberals.

News_Rich_Media: Vote counting has resumed in South Australia after Saturday's state election.

ECSA update showing gap narrowing in Ashford, growing in Hartley and Mitchell. All in favour of Libs #savotes @theTiser

— Sheradyn Holderhead (@SheradynTiser) March 18, 2014

Thirty-five per cent want him to support Labor and 12 per cent are undecided.

In Fisher, where 382 respondents were polled, 66 per cent want Dr Such to back the Liberals. Twenty-seven per cent want Labor and seven per cent are undecided.

Independent MP Bob Such is not planning to hold further meetings with the major party leaders this week, he says.

Instead, the MP for Fisher is waiting for more definitive results from vote counting and expects to make a decision no earlier than the weekend.

Dr Such said there was not one single factor that would make up his mind.

However, a key factor in his decision would be which party “will bring about stability”, he said.

“That depends on the mathematics of the final (vote) result,” he said.

“I don’t have any preference for any of the major parties.

“I want to see whoever takes over (government) do what is needed for South Australia.

“Both parties are claiming that they are going to be delivering well financially and for the economy but there’s some variation on how they go about it.”

Dr Such said both parties were viable options to form government so his decision would also take account of which party he could “believe in”.

“Its going to be a sense of believing that they’re going to do the right thing, a confidence that they can deliver,” he said.

“What else can you go on?”

Dr Such released an election day guide asking people to vote for him first before allocating preferences.

“Your second preference will indicate the Government you want,” he wrote. “Remember, Bob has absolutely no deal or arrangement of any kind with any political party.”

News_Image_File: Independent MPs Bob Such and Geoff Brock after visiting Opposition Leader Steven Marshall in Parliament House.

Dr Such first won Fisher as a Liberal in 1989 before becoming an independent in 2000.

Mr Brock took Frome from former Liberal premier Rob Kerin in a 2009 by-election.

Both electorates also backed the Liberals heavily over Labor at the weekend.

News_Image_File: South Australian Premier jay Weatherill holds a press conference about the election results. News_Image_File: State Liberal Leader Steven Marshall at a press conference in Parliament House.

Latest counting in Frome shows the Liberals on 37 per cent of the primary vote, compared with 11 per cent for Labor.

The Liberals have 35 per cent of first preference backing in Fisher compared to Labor’s 17 per cent.

Latest counting shows Labor set to lose the popular vote but finish with 23 seats. The Liberals are likely to win 22 as the two independents are both returned.

News_Rich_Media: Stones tour hangs in the balance, motorcyclist dies on the notorious Sturt Highway and counting begins on postal and pre-poll votes from the State election.

Galaxy Research managing director David Briggs said SA’s independent duo faced a similar predicament to Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott after the 2010 federal election.

They supported Labor, and declined to stand at the following election. “On that occasion the independents chose to side with Julia Gillard to enable the Labor Party to form minority government, a decision that went a long way to ending their parliamentary career,” Mr Briggs said.

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