Liberals poised to vacate field for Fraser Ellis in Yorke Peninsula seat

The Liberals are poised to soothe the political headache posed by the man who plunged them into minority government by not putting up any competition.

The Liberals are poised to soothe the political headache posed by the man who plunged them into minority government, crossbencher Fraser Ellis, by letting him contest his blue-ribbon Yorke Peninsula seat without competition from his former party.

Premier Steven Marshall has repeatedly left open the prospect of Mr Ellis rejoining the Liberals, having suspended his party membership when he quit for the crossbench in February after being charged with allegedly rorting travel expenses.

Mr Marshall has insisted the decision on Mr Ellis’s future would be made by the Liberal state executive, which it is understood will consider not standing a candidate in Mr Ellis’s seat.

This would allow him to run at next March’s election as an independent, possibly even a Liberal independent, before standing trial over alleged parliamentary allowance rorting next June.

Mr Ellis, the Narungga MP, on October 13 demanded he be allowed to stand as a Liberal candidate, given the presumption of innocence, and warned he would run as an independent if the party did not endorse him.

Fraser Ellis during Question Time in 2020. Picture: Matt Loxton

It is understood the Liberal state executive is considering three options: readmitting Mr Ellis to the party; running a candidate against him in earnest; or letting him stand as an independent with no or little party competition.

The latter option is said to be most likely to be preferred when the 10-person party state executive meets on November 8, with consideration also being given to allowing Mr Ellis to stand as a Liberal independent.

Mr Ellis declined to comment. He was among four rebel Liberals who in November, 2018, delivered an early signal of internal unrest by crossing the floor to delay a vote on mining reforms. The others were newly installed Speaker and crossbencher Dan Cregan, along with backbench dissidents Steve Murray and Nick McBride.

Four rebel then-Liberals cross the floor on a mining bill. From back left, Fraser Ellis, Steve Murray, Dan Cregan and Nick McBride, join independent MPs Troy Bell (front left) and Geoff Brock. Picture: Tom Huntley

It is likely that if the Liberals ran a candidate against Mr Ellis, however tepidly, he would forgo any future opportunity to rejoin the party and serve his full term as an independent, if re-elected.

Mr Cregan on Tuesday aired concerns about a Liberal takeover of his Kavel electorate Facebook page, on which some comments accused the party of conducting phone surveys with questions disparaging him.

“It’s a bit like taking my Ford Falcon and rebirthing it as a Holden Camira and then hoping nobody in Kavel realises,” he said.

Labor frontbencher Tom Koutsantonis accused the Liberals of double standards for “launching an all-out attack” on Mr Cregan yet “rolling out the red carpet for a return” for Mr Ellis.

Mr Cregan on Monday vowed to donate his salary increase as Speaker to worthy causes in his electorate, which it is understood he plans to do by having his pay put into separate accounts – one for all the increased wage. It is understood he is taking advice on tax implications.

Under changes passed ahead of the coup that installed him on October 13, the Speaker has the power to extend parliamentary sittings beyond the remaining six days scheduled before the March 19 election.

It is understood Mr Cregan is yet to have discussions about this, including with Labor and the crossbench. This means extra sittings are more likely early next year, rather than this year.