Nick Xenophon’s submarine challenge threatens Liberal Senators in South Australia

TWO South Australian Senators could be out of a job at the next election, Liberals fear.

• Nick Xenophon warns Japanese submarine makers
• Xenophon: Defence officials trashing our submarine-building reputation

TWO South Australian Senators could be out of a job at the next election, Liberals fear.

Lower House MPs and Senators have told The Advertiser they are concerned that of the three current Government Senators, just one might be voted back in.

They blame the “Xenophon factor”, and the popular independent Senator says he could get two of his colleagues elected.

The Advertiser revealed in February that the Nick Xenophon Team would run candidates against sitting Liberal MPs if there was no announcement that the $50 billion Future Submarines would be built in SA, and preference Labor.

Liberal Senators Sean Edwards, David Fawcett and Anne Ruston are vying for the top spot on the ticket to ensure their survival.

Liberal MPs say the number three spot is likely to be lost, and the number two slot is not safe either.

More than 240 party members will vote to decide who to put in a safe position.

The right of the party will likely back Senator Fawcett and the moderate vote may split between Anne Ruston and Sean Edwards, but many votes are still up for grabs and there will be other candidates.

Some MPs said only the number one spot — currently held by Senator Ruston — was safe, while some were more optimistic that the Government would pick up two Senate seats.

In the normal course of things only half the Senate goes to a vote at each election, so their terms are twice as long as the Lower House.

Senator Xenophon is not up for re-election at the next poll, but will field candidates.

He said he was planning a “strong Senate campaign”.

“If there is not a double dissolution (where the whole Senate is up for re-election) I’ll be working on not just getting (running mate) Stirling Griff elected, but his number two elected,” Senator Xenophon said.

“If the submarines don’t get built in SA, the dynamics will change.”

Senator Xenophon has been in Japan talking to top defence and industry representatives about their bid for the submarines.

He has told them that there is a jobs crisis in SA, which is why they need to do at least 70 per cent of the submarine work here.

He has also suggested they could begin immediately outsourcing some of their own submarine manufacturing jobs to Adelaide.

At the 2013 election Senator Xenophon picked up 25 per cent of the vote — more than Labor.

He was close to getting two quotas, meaning Mr Griff would have been elected as well.

At that election the Liberal Party had to rely on preference flows to get a second Senator in.

Senator Xenophon is threatening to this time send all the “leftover” votes to Labor.