Nick Xenophon will leave his taxpayer-funded job with Senator Rex Patrick within weeks

NICK Xenophon says he won’t be in his part-time job for long and has denied using federal funds to subsidise his state campaign.

• Role reversal: Mrs X is adviser to ex-staffer Senator Rex Patrick

NICK Xenophon is set to leave his taxpayer-funded job in the office of Senator Rex Patrick within weeks and has angrily denied using federal resources to subsidise SA Best’s state election campaign.

The Advertiser revealed this week that Mr Xenophon had taken a $1500 per week part-time adviser role with Senator Patrick, who replaced him in federal Parliament.

Both of the major parties criticised Mr Xenophon for accepting the job after quitting the Senate to run for the state seat of Hartley.

Mr Xenophon on Friday said he would only remain in the adviser role for a few weeks to help his former staffer Mr Patrick “transition” into the Senate.

“It’s a short-term position for the next few weeks. It’s to help the transition. I’m doing way more hours than I’m being paid for,’’ he said.

SA Best Party leader Nick Xenophon and staffer Connie Bonaros.

Deputy state Liberal Leader Vickie Chapman accused Mr Xenophon’s SA Best Party of using federal taxpayer resources for the state campaign.

“SA Best is clearly subsidising their state election campaign with federal resources,’’ Ms Chapman said.

“Nick Xenophon should be paid by his political party to campaign — not by taxpayers.

“Nick has a fair bit of front asking his candidates to stump up $20,000 to run for his party when he’s slotted himself into a taxpayer funded job to ‘pay the bills’.”

Mr Xenophon denied misusing public money.

“I’m working on constituent and policy issues and giving advice, while Vicki — who’s on the public purse — is throwing mud,’’ he said.

“It’s the pot calling the kettle black.”

Nick Xenophon Team federal Senate staff Connie Bonaros and Frank Pangallo have both been tipped as possible SA Best upper house candidates for the state election.

Mr Xenophon said SA Best was yet to finalise and announce its upper house ticket.

He also rejected suggestions that his party would use some of the $1.2 million in taxpayer funding it had received after the 2016 election to subsidise the state campaign.

“The (federal) campaign cost more than we received in public funding but we did get some donations which helped,’’ Mr Xenophon said.

The Labor and Liberal parties were both spooked by Mr Xenophon’s decision to quit the Senate and run for state Parliament.

In order to win Hartley, Mr Xenophon will need to defeat sitting Liberal MP Vincent Tarzia and former Labor minister Grace Portolesi.

Despite his departure from the Senate, Mr Xenophon remains the federal leader of the Nick Xenophon Team, which has three Senate positions and the House of Representative seat of Mayo.

Mayo MP Rebekha Sharkie’s future is under a cloud after she revealed her British citizenship wasn’t renounced until after nominations for the 2016 election closed.