Election 2022: Nick Xenophon’s comeback hopes are on the ropes

Serial political disrupter Nick Xenophon appears doomed in his latest attempt at a Senate comeback.

Nick Xenophon. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Serial political disrupter Nick Xenophon appears doomed in his latest attempt at a comeback, his campaign marred by his work for Chinese telco Huawei and a preference freeze which could see One Nation or Clive Palmer grab the sixth Senate spot in South Australia.

The man who just four years ago was rated as South Australia’s preferred premier before his state campaign imploded looks set to fail again, entering the race so late that his name does not even appear above the line on the ballot paper.

Both the major parties expect their primary vote will be enough to get the two lead Labor and Liberal candidates across the line, with the fifth position going to the Greens. This would see the return of Labor frontbenchers Penny Wong and Don Farrell, Liberal Finance Minister Simon Birmingham and backbencher ­Andrew McLachlan, with Greens candidate Barbara Pocock joining Sarah Hanson-Young as SA’s second Greens senator.

This makes the battle for sixth spot a messy tussle between a raft of candidates of which Mr Xenophon, One Nation and the United Australian Party are polling the strongest.

But with Mr Xenophon not expected to get a quota, and with One Nation’s Jennifer Game and UAP’s Michael Arbon swapping preferences in a formal deal, the former balance of power senator who quit federal politics in 2017 looks unlikely to return.

While not conceding defeat, Mr Xenophon said his late entry to the race had complicated his campaign. “I’m like a horse with three jockeys on it,” he said. “A lot of things have slowed me down – not having my name above the line, not having preferences, entering so late. But it’s not over until it’s over.”

Mr Xenophon also admitted his campaign had “probably” been affected by his work for ­Huawei, saying other ex-politicians such as former foreign minister Alexander Downer and former Victorian Labor premier John Brumby had also worked for the Chinese telco without ­attracting such rancour. “I have only had it raised with me twice by members of the public but my opponents have used it against me,” he said. “Politics is a lot uglier than it was a few years ago.”

Labor’s Senator Farrell said he believed the 2018 SA election had represented Mr Xenophon’s last gasp in politics.

Regardless of whether Mr Xenophon wins or loses, the second candidate on his ticket, sitting senator Stirling Griff, will definitely be swept from power on Saturday.