Nick Xenophon quits federal parliament to run in South Australia

SENATOR Nick Xenophon has announced he is giving up his Senate seat and leaving Canberra politics.

Senator Nick Xenophon is giving up his Senate seat.

SOUTH Australian Senator Nick Xenophon has announced he will quit federal parliament.

The popular independent is giving up his long held Senate seat to run for state parliament at the South Australian state election.

Senator Xenophon has been in federal Parliament since 2007.

He took on his Canberra role after 10 years in State Parliament.

In a video announcement posted online, Senator Xenophon said he was returning to state politics because “South Australia is at a crossroads”.

“Labor has been taking us in the wrong direction, the Liberals want to take us to a dead end,” he said.

“For too long voters have had an awful choice between a government that deserves to lose and an opposition that doesn’t deserve to win.

“South Australian politics is broken and politically bankrupt.”

Senator Nick Xenophon addresses the media in Adelaide over his decision to quit federal parliament. Picture: David Mariuz/AAP

The Senator’s decision comes as the his future in Canberra is already under a cloud over constitutional questions over his citizenship.

Senator Xenophon said he would have made the announcement earlier if it wasn’t for the High Court case.

“This will be the toughest political fight of my life,” he told reporters in Adelaide on Friday.

“But I’m up for that challenge because I love our state, our people and I believe that if you are in politics you should be there to make a difference.”

Senator Xenophon started the SA Best political party in South Australia in March 2017. The state party is an affiliate of the Senator’s federal Nick Xenophon Team.

He is expected to run in the seat of Hartley in Adelaide’s east.