Federal election 2016: Counting shows Labor’s back in the swing in with NXT poised to be a huge force

ANALYSIS: LABOR picked up a swing in almost every South Australian seat last night, while the entry of the Nick Xenophon Team has created a three-party state.

• The voting as it happened in South Australia
• The voting as it happened across the nation

LABOR picked up a swing in almost every South Australian seat last night.

Where Labor did not get a swing, the Nick Xenophon Team did, proving the popularity of the SA senator’s push to save jobs through the Future Submarines project, at Holden and at steelmaker Arrium.

Late last night, as counting continued, Mayo MP and former minister Jamie Briggs conceded defeat to NXT candidate Rebekha Sharkie.

South Australia was the most talked-about state in the election campaign, with the predicted emergence of the NXT as a third force in the Senate and a possible presence in the House of Representatives. Ms Sharkie had long been tipped to take the “safe” Liberal seat of Mayo, which had a margin of 12.6 per cent.

Early on polling day, Senator Xenophon called the shift “uncharted waters in Australian democracy”.

“There has never been a three-way contest in any state, ever,” he said.

“There could be a real sea change here in South Australia where the people of this state reject the tribal politics of Liberal and Labor and go to the political centre.”

The NXT factor has thrown SA results into chaos. Various polls had showed the team could pick up Grey and Barker, although that looked unlikely last night.

NXT star Rebkha Sharkie with party leader Nick Xenophon will have a huge bearing on who forms government, led by either Malcolm Turnbull or Bill Shorten.

In Hindmarsh, the state’s most marginal seat, sitting MP Matt Williams and Labor challenger Steve Georganas were still neck and neck.

The Coalition was having more luck in the Senate, although final results will not be known for days, if not weeks. The NXT was on track to win three SA Senate seats, while Labor could be reduced to as few as two. The Coalition could win five. New Greens Senator Robert Simms will struggle to keep his spot.

The poorer-than-expected showing by the Government immediately provoked recriminations. Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi chided party strategist Mark Textor, saying: “Hey Tex, I’m thinking that conservatives really do matter.”

With a swing of more than 2 per cent for Labor, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten yesterday was still feeling confident, saying Labor was “ready to govern”.

“I’m very confident that we are closing very well,” he said. “This has been a great privilege to serve the Australian people. It is a great honour to be able to offer our views (and to) offer yourself to be the alter­native prime minister of this country.”

An election-eve national Newspoll showed a 2 per cent vote nationwide for the Nick Xenophon Team. In South Australia, the figure has been as high as 29 per cent. Last night it was sitting around 24 per cent.

Originally published as Federal election 2016: Counting shows Labor’s back in the swing in with NXT poised to be a huge force