Union poll finds Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne at risk of losing seat to Nick Xenophon Team
A UNION poll has found Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne at risk of losing his blue-ribbon eastern Adelaide seat of Sturt to a candidate backed by independent Senator Nick Xenophon.
A UNION poll has found Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne at risk of losing his eastern Adelaide seat of Sturt to a candidate backed by independent Senator Nick Xenophon.
The ReachTEL survey of 739 residents in the blue-ribbon seat of Sturt was conducted on Monday, July 20, at the height of controversy around Speaker Bronwyn Bishop’s helicopter trip.
When asked who they would vote for if a Nick Xenophon Team candidate were in the race, 38 per cent of respondents said they would endorse an independent backed by the Senator.
Thirty-one per cent said they would back the Liberals, and 17 per cent endorsed Labor.
If the results were repeated at the ballot box, a Xenophon candidate could comfortably take the seat with Labor preferences.
The poll will also create fears for Liberals in other marginal SA seats including Boothby and Hindmarsh, where Senator Xenophon plans to back candidates.
The poll was commissioned by the Labor-aligned Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, which is currently running advertisements nationwide attacking the China free trade agreement struck by the Coalition ahead of a federal election expected next year.
Mr Pyne has dismissed the poll as having been commissioned by one of the most “discredited” organisations in the nation, which was linked to criminal activity.
“The CFMEU is one of the most discredited organisations in Australia,” he said.
“It’s associated with criminality, thuggery, illicit drugs and bikie gangs.
“Now it’s running a racist campaign against the China FTA.
“I’m not intimidated by them. I’m ashamed of them.”
When not prompted to consider the inclusion of a Xenophon candidate, 40 per cent of respondents said they would vote Liberal and 29 per cent backed Labor.
The poll also asked if Ms Bishop should stand down as Speaker, with 57 per cent saying she should, and if the Federal Government had done enough to protect SA jobs over submarines.
The poll comes as Mr Pyne gets ready to launch his first book, A Letter to My Children, at a function at Burnside tonight.
Speaking to The Advertiser this morning, Senator Xenophon said he planned to run candidates in all SA Lower House federal seats and in the Senate races for most states.
He said his campaign would be based on ensuring submarines were built in SA.
“We are advanced in selecting candidates. We’ve been organised and structured,” Senator Xenophon said. “Once somebody is the candidate, they’ll be put under enormous pressure.
“We’re looking at people from a wide cross-section of the community.
“Christopher Pyne is a formidable campaigner.
“This is about the issues, it’s nothing personal.
“This is about putting the interests of SA, in the context of the subs and manufacturing and the tsunami of job losses that we are expecting, at the forefront of national politics.”
A similar union poll in May found the Liberals were poised to retain their most marginal seat of Hindmarsh, with 45 per cent of people likely to give the Coalition their primary vote.
Mr Pyne’s office has been contacted for comment.