Xenophon’s team at risk of being sidelined by citizenship ruling

Nick Xenophon’s influence in the Senate could be diminished in the wake of the High Court’s latest dual-citizenship ruling.

Stephen Marshall and Nick Xenophon at the SA Press Club for the leaders' public debate in Adelaide, February 2, 2018. Picture: AFP

Nick Xenophon’s influence in the Senate could be diminished, with the government able to bypass his party to legislate policies in the wake of the High Court’s latest dual-citizenship ruling.

Former Nick Xenophon Team senator Skye Kakoschke-Moore yesterday lost her bid to replace herself in the Senate, clearing the way for the party’s next in line candidate at the 2016 election, Tim Storer, to fill the vacancy.

Mr Storer quit the party last year following a dispute with Mr Xenophon and may choose to serve as an independent, which would reduce the NXT’s bloc of three senators to two.

The NXT also has one lower house MP, Rebekha Sharkie.

That would leave Pauline Hanson’s One Nation as the largest crossbench voting bloc, with three senators, although conservative ­independents Cory Bernardi, David Leyonhjelm and Fraser Anning have vowed to vote together on matters of mutual interest.

Government sources in South Australia believe Mr Storer, who quit the NXT when he was overlooked to replace Mr Xenophon in a casual vacancy, will not reunite with the minor party leader.

 

Mr Storer declined to say whether he would sit as an NXT senator as he waits for a special count to ­officially decide Ms Kakoschke-Moore’s replacement, expected tomorrow, and declar­ation of his election as soon as Friday.

“It will be a great honour if I have the opportunity to represent and ­advocate for South Australians in the Senate,” he said.

Mr Xenophon said he was “of course” open to Mr Storer returning to the party, which would “work constructively with him” ­regardless of his decision.

NXT senator Stirling Griff ­exchanged texts with Mr Storer after the High Court ruling yesterday and was hopeful a dialogue would continue.

“I’d very much like to catch up and discuss areas in which we can work together,” Senator Griff said. “I know he does have shared values and that would be a natural fit for him to support our positions.”

The government needs nine of 11 Senate crossbench votes to pass bills if it does not have the support of Labor or the Greens.

If Mr Storer sits as an independent, the government could circumvent the NXT bloc and still legislate if it had the support of the remaining crossbenchers.

Ms Kakoschke-Moore was caught in the dual citizenship ­fiasco when she learned last year she had gained British citizenship by descent through her mother, who was born in Singapore in 1957 when it was a British colony.

After renouncing her foreign citizenship on December 6, Ms Kakoschke-Moore argued she was eligible to take up the vacancy she had left.

The former South Australian senator said she looked forward to running for the NXT at the next federal election after the High Court threw out her case.

The NXT received 204,505 votes above the line at the 2016 election, while Ms Kakoschke-Moore and Mr Storer won 129 and 189 below the line votes ­respectively.

Mr Xenophon, who quit the Senate to contest next month’s South Australian election, gained 25,777 below the line votes.