Former SA Best leader Nick Xenophon speaks out about quitting party he founded

Former SA Best leader Nick Xenophon, who was preferred premier until a fortnight before March’s state election, has spoken out about quitting the party he founded.

Political recluse Nick Xenophon has spoken out about his decision to quit the party he led to March’s state election, at which he led opinion polls as preferred premier until days before voting.

Responding to The Advertiser’s questions about his resignation from SA Best, the party he founded and previously was named after him, Mr Xenophon said he had quit the management committee and as an office holder some weeks before the recent annual general meeting.

This meant he was no longer involved in any way with either SA Best, formerly known as Nick Xenophon’s SA Best, or the federal Centre Alliance, formerly known as the Nick Xenophon Team.

Mr Xenophon said he had resigned, as he had said he would, because he was no longer an elected MP or involved with politics.

Former SA Best leader Nick Xenophon says he has now passed the baton to Upper House members Connie Bonaros and Frank Pangallo.

“A very amicable resignation. Always the plan to leave office holder roles in SA Best before the AGM given I wasn’t elected,” Mr Xenophon told The Advertiser.

“The baton has been passed to (Upper House members) Connie Bonaros and Frank Pangallo who, with their team, are doing a great job!”

Mr Xenophon lost an audacious bid to enter State Parliament’s lower house as SA Best leader, at the March 17 state election, at which he was rated as preferred premier in a Newspoll just a fortnight before voting day.

In another poll three months beforehand, he was preferred by 46 per cent of respondents to lead the state.

Since losing his bid for the eastern Adelaide seat of Hartley, the former state upper house member and senator has steadfastly eschewed politics, emerging from self-imposed exile only sporadically and focusing on his northeastern suburbs legal practice.

In June, Mr Xenophon endorsed former colleague Rebekha Sharkie’s ultimately successful candidacy at a July by-election in the federal seat of Mayo, for which her 2016 election had been deemed ineligible over citizenship issues.