Nick Xenophon
Encyclopedia
Nicholas "Nick" Xenophon (born Nicholas Xenophou 29 January 1959) is a South Australian barrister, anti-gambling campaigner and politician. He attended Prince Alfred College
, and studied law at the University of Adelaide
, attaining his Bachelor of Laws
in 1981. Xenophon established and became principal of his own law firm, Xenophon & Co. in 1984. Between 1994 and 1997 he served as president of the South Australian branch of the Australian Plaintiff Lawyers' Association.
No Pokies
, the name of his independent ticket in the South Australian Legislative Council
, garnered 2.9 percent of the statewide vote at the 1997 state election electing himself on preferences, and 20.5 percent at the 2006 election (or 2.5 quotas), which was unexpected by political commentators. He was elected to the Australian Senate
at the 2007 federal election, receiving 14.8 percent. This was still over one full Senate quota, gaining election without the need for preferences. Xenophon shared the balance of power
with the Greens
and Family First
during the 2008–11 Senate parliamentary session, with the Greens holding the sole balance of power since July 2011. Whilst his original 1997 platform centred on anti-pokies, he has since become an advocate in many other areas. Xenophon has been reported in the media as "left-of-centre", while Hansard
reveals that Xenophon and the Greens have found common ground on a number of issues.
and studied law at the University of Adelaide
, completing his Bachelor of Laws
in 1981. While at University he was for a period a member of the Young Liberals
, who helped him secure the editorship of the student newspaper On Dit
through vote-rigging, an incident Xenophon says he regrets and helped turned him off party politics. In 1984, he established and became principal of his own law firm, Xenophon & Co., located in Paradise, South Australia
, which deals solely with workers compensation and personal injury claims. In this field he became successful, and between 1994 and 1997 he served as president of the South Australian branch of the Australian Plaintiff Lawyers' Association. After legislation was passed in 1992 by the Bannon
Labor
government that saw the introduction of poker machines
(pokies) into South Australia in 1993, the increased incidence of problem gambling came to Xenophon's attention in his legal practice.
under an Independent No Pokies
ticket, advocating the reduction and abolition of poker machine
s (colloquially known as "pokies"). He received a vote of 2.86 percent, a statewide total of 25,630 votes – much less than the 8.33 per cent needed to be elected in his own right – but by receiving a large number of preferences
first from microparties and then from Grey Power
, he achieved 1.08 quotas and was elected. This made Xenophon the first Independent elected to the Legislative Council in 60 years.
Following the 1997 election, the Olsen
Liberal
government required the support of an additional two non-Liberal upper house members in order to pass legislation, with the Australian Democrats
retaining the balance of power
on three seats. However, defectors from Labor
in the upper house, Terry Cameron
and Trevor Crothers
, often brought Xenophon in to play. In 1998, Xenophon voted with Cameron and the government to proceed with the second reading of the ETSA
power sale bill. The bill became law when Cameron and Crothers voted with the Liberal government. Following the election of the Rann
Labor
government at the 2002 state election, the government required an additional five non-Labor upper house members to pass legislation, giving a shared balance of power to the Democrats on three seats, incumbent independents Xenophon and Cameron, with the Family First Party
winning their first seat.
Xenophon was an activist for a range of issues apart from the elimination of poker machines, speaking out on consumer rights, essential services, the environment, taxation, and perks for politicians. Xenophon was also vocal in the Eugene McGee hit-run affair, becoming an advocate for the victim's wife, with public opinion eventually forcing the Kapunda Road Royal Commission
that led to harsher laws for hit-run offences.
Xenophon is best known for his many media-friendly publicity stunts that have gained him both deep respect and ardent criticism. At the 2006 state election, he ran an aggressive campaign and attracted considerable publicity through a range of imaginative stunts, including riding a model locomotive "gravy train" outside Parliament House to protest MPs' superannuation entitlements, parading along Rundle Mall wearing a sandwich board
to advertise his campaign, and bringing a small goat to Parliament urging voters not to "kid around" with their vote. Despite media speculation that he would struggle to be re-elected due to the major parties preferencing against him, he attracted sufficient funding and volunteers to staff most state booths on polling day. He received 190,958 first preferences or 20.51 per cent of the total vote, enough to not only be re-elected himself, but also to elect the second No Pokies
candidate, Ann Bressington
. His total was 5.46 per cent less than the Liberal Party
, and he outpolled the Liberals in some booths, including the entire electoral district of Enfield
. Political analysts said Xenophon's vote at the election was drawn almost equally from the two major parties, and that Xenophon had become the new "third force" in South Australian politics. With the Labor government requiring four non-Labor upper house members to pass legislation, No Pokies on two seats shared the balance of power with Family First on two seats, the Democrats on one seat, with the SA Greens
winning their first seat.
in front of the giraffe enclosure, declaring he would "stick his neck out for South Australia" by announcing his resignation from the South Australian Legislative Council
in an attempt to gain election to the Australian Senate
at the 2007 federal election. His platform consisted of anti-gambling and pro-consumer protection
measures, attention to the water crisis affecting the Murray River
, ratifying Kyoto
, opposition against a "decrease in state rights", and opposition to WorkChoices
.
Following the announcement, ABC election analyst Antony Green
predicted that Xenophon would easily win a seat, with Centrebet
speculating he would begin on a favourable $1.50 for and $2.70 against. Nick Minchin
, a Liberal senator from South Australia and a leader of the party's right faction, urged people not to vote for Mr Xenophon. Xenophon attracted preferences from minor parties such as the Greens, Democrats and Family First, whose preferences would be crucial were he to win less than 14.3% of the vote. Due to differences between federal and state electoral laws, Xenophon's name did not appear above the line on the ticket, and he was represented only by the letter "S" above the line, with voters having to search for his details.
As Xenophon had vacated his Legislative Council seat to run for the Senate, a joint sitting of the South Australian parliament was convened for 21 November 2007 to select Xenophon's replacement. The Rann Labor government agreed to Xenophon's choice of former valuer-general John Darley
, who had stood as the third candidate on Xenophon's ticket in 2006. During the joint sitting convened to confirm the nomination, Ann Bressington
criticised Xenophon, questioning his integrity and suitability for federal parliament, suggesting that his "anti-politician" image was more spin than reality. She also said Xenophon had demanded she contribute $50,000 towards campaign expenses at the 2006 state election. Xenophon said in response that he was "shocked and hurt" and "deeply upset" that she had failed to share her concerns with him in person, saying "privately and publicly, I have been very supportive of her." Some people whose causes Xenophon had championed also came forward to defend Xenophon. Di Gilcrist, whose husband's hit and run death resulted in the Kapunda Road Royal Commission
, was vocal in her rejection of Bressington's comments. In an interview the following day, Ms Gilcrist said "based on my experience not only as a victim who's dealt with Nick but also somebody who's worked with Nick and his office over the last two campaigns and in between, Nick is passionate and he cares and he is empathetic. And he is truly committed." Lower House Independent Kris Hanna
also defended Xenophon, arguing Bressington had "obviously been out to do some damage" and injure Xenophon's chances of being elected to the Senate.
During the campaign, Xenophon also complained to the Australian Electoral Commission
about political advertisements which falsely claimed he would not support rolling back the unpopular WorkChoices
laws if elected.
During the final days of the campaign, Xenophon executed his final campaign stunt – walking a large mule down Rundle Mall, allegedly to demonstrate his stubbornness. Xenophon received a total of 148,789 votes, representing 14.78% of enrolled electors. 30,054 of these – about one in five – voted below the line. Only the Labor and Liberal parties (each receiving about 35%) polled more votes.
in the Senate with the Australian Greens
on five seats and Family First
on one seat, the Rudd
Labor
government requiring the support of all seven, or the opposition, to pass legislation. Xenophon's election was at the expense of a Liberal candidate, without his presence the Coalition
may have retained a Senate majority. Xenophon indicated plans to work closely with coalition renegade Barnaby Joyce
. Xenophon has been reported in the media as "left-of-centre", whilst Hansard revealed that Xenophon and the Greens find common ground on a number of issues.
In February 2009, the Rudd Government
's $42 billion economic stimulus package struggled to see passage through the Senate. After some amendments, the package was supported by Labor, the Greens, and Family First, however Xenophon voted against the package. The package was reintroduced the next morning and this time Xenophon voted with it after some requests were agreed to by the Government. With Xenophon's support the package passed the Senate. Xenophon convinced the government to bring forward $900 million in Murray-Darling basin funds and other water projects, which included $500 million over three years for water buybacks, $200 million in water saving and water management grants for local communities, and $200 million in stormwater harvesting projects.
In a speech to the Senate on 17 November 2009, Xenophon labelled the Church of Scientology
as a criminal organisation, making allegations of members experiencing blackmail
, torture
and violence, labour camps and forced imprisonment
, and coerced abortions
, echoing other criticisms of Scientology. Xenophon quoted from a letter he received written by Aaron Saxton
, a whistleblower
on Scientology who had previously served as a senior official within the organization in Australia and the United States. Kevin Rudd
stated he shared some of Xenophon's concerns, and would consider the call for a parliamentary inquiry. The federal opposition were not so keen on an inquiry. State Crime Command of New South Wales Police
confirmed the following day that they had received statements from Xenophon by seven former members, with investigations commencing. A request for a Senate inquiry was not successful, though the Greens voted with Xenophon in support of the proposal. After a subsequent Senate Committee investigation was carried out, a federal parliamentary committee of the Australian Senate recommended on 7 September 2010 that a charities commission be formed, with the purpose of investigating and monitoring transparency of charitable organizations. This recommendation received bipartisan support. Senator Xenophon commented on the report of the committee, "I believe reform is now inevitable. We can't continue to have business as usual when it comes to organisations that have been beyond any reasonable level of accountability." Xenophon emphasized the investigation began as a result of his concerns about Scientology, "This inquiry came about because of legislation I introduced for a public benefit test for religions and charities, and it was as a direct result of being approached by many victims of the Church of Scientology. Their evidence, their complaints played a key role in triggering this inquiry." In September 2011, Xenophon said he was disappointed with a Fair Work Ombudsman's final report into the Church of Scientology.
position, with the Greens taking the sole balance of power after a strong showing at the 2010 election. He nominates key issues he will pursue before he is up for re-election at the next Australian federal election
as: gaming machine reforms, stopping palm oil
from being sold in Australia and breaking up the supermarket duopoly
, as well as better deals for Riverland irrigators in the Murray-Darling Basin rescue plan. He said his lack of power won't translate to a diminished voice... "Most of your influence comes from being able to influence the wider debate on an issue, and if you are successful, you can actually change the way the major parties vote. That's what I have done for the past three years and I will continue to do that. I can honestly say I plan to be a pesky, persistent bastard in and out of the Senate for the next three years".
Xenophon's anti-pokies
stance was bolstered when independent Andrew Wilkie
was elected to the federal lower house seat of Denison
at the 2010 election. Wilkie was one of four crossbenchers who supported the Gillard
Labor
minority government
following the hung parliament
result. Wilkie campaigned heavily against pokies at the election and immediately began forging ties with Xenophon as soon as it was apparent that he was elected. Wilkie claims that problem gamblers in Australia lose $5 billion each year on pokies. In exchange for Wilkie's support, the Labor government are legislating for mandatory "pre-commitment" technology which would require people using high-bet machines to pre-commit how much they are willing to bet on a machine before they begin to play, as well as introducing safer $1 maximum bet per spin machines, which would not require pre-commitment. The plan came under sustained attack from sporting clubs and various businesses which financially benefit from poker machine use. Xenophon accused them of misrepresenting plans and creating hype. The Abbott
Coalition
opposes the plans, with Abbott saying "it is not Liberal Party
policy" and it will be "expensive and ineffective." According to polling, the Labor government's plans are supported by a clear majority of voters across the spectrum. AFL
boss Andrew Demetriou
rejected suggestions that the AFL was joining Clubs Australia in their media campaign. Clubs Australia created www.WontWorkWillHurt.com.au as part of their campaign. Commentators from the Nine Network
gave planned political arguments without disclosure during commentary of a Semi-Final NRL
game, prompting the Australian Communications and Media Authority
(ACMA) to investigate, stating "Channel Nine broadcast political material without adequately identifying it as such during the NRL first preliminary final". One of the accused commentators stated that the remarks were a "directive from up top that it be read by at least somebody". Investigations are predicted to take months. GetUp
attempted to counter the anti-pre-commitment campaign by running political commercials during the NRL grand final. Xenophon created a website, www.ItsABigFatLie.com.au, in attempts to counter the attacks. Clubs Australia accidentally posted private content on their website which indicated that clubs are purposely exaggerating the impact of the pre-committment plans. The Greens
proposed a modification of the plan to remove the pre-committment and simply institute the $1 bet limit side of the plan. Gillard and Wilkie indicated they are open to the change. Clubs Australia, which had so far amassed a $40 million federal election "warchest" including $250,000 from Woolworths, claimed it would do even more harm to clubs.
In September 2011, Xenophon controversially used parliamentary privilege
to accuse a South Australian Catholic priest of rape, in regard to accusations made about events that occurred in the 1960s. Monsignor David Cappo
and the Archbishop of Adelaide, Philip Wilson, were accused of failing to properly investigate the allegations when made in 2007. All three men deny the Senator's claims. Xenophon decided to use parliamentary privilege after receiving an "unsatisfactory" response from the Church when advising them of his intentions and ultimatum. Cappo, introduced by Mike Rann
early in his premiership as South Australia's head of his Social Inclusion unit, was set to take on a national role by Prime Minister Julia Gillard
. Due to the claims, Cappo stepped down from the new position after just one week, as well as from the Social Inclusion Board. Several days later, after high-level media coverage, Xenophon indicated he might not have used parliamentary privilege had he known the person he accused was about to take a period of leave.
Xenophon voted against the Clean Energy Bill
in November 2011. The carbon tax passed with the Labor government receiving Green support for the legislation in the Senate.
Prince Alfred College
Prince Alfred College is an independent, day and boarding school for boys, located on Dequetteville Terrace, Kent Town, near the centre of Adelaide, South Australia...
, and studied law at the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
, attaining his Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
in 1981. Xenophon established and became principal of his own law firm, Xenophon & Co. in 1984. Between 1994 and 1997 he served as president of the South Australian branch of the Australian Plaintiff Lawyers' Association.
No Pokies
No Pokies
No Pokies is an independent South Australian Legislative Council ticket that contested the 1997, 2002, and 2006 statewide legislative council elections...
, the name of his independent ticket in the South Australian Legislative Council
South Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly...
, garnered 2.9 percent of the statewide vote at the 1997 state election electing himself on preferences, and 20.5 percent at the 2006 election (or 2.5 quotas), which was unexpected by political commentators. He was elected to the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
at the 2007 federal election, receiving 14.8 percent. This was still over one full Senate quota, gaining election without the need for preferences. Xenophon shared the balance of power
Balance of power (parliament)
In parliamentary politics, the term balance of power sometimes describes the pragmatic mechanism exercised by a minor political party or other grouping whose guaranteed support may enable an otherwise minority government to obtain and hold office...
with the Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
and Family First
Family First Party
The Family First Party is a socially conservative minor political party in Australia. It has two members in the South Australian Legislative Council...
during the 2008–11 Senate parliamentary session, with the Greens holding the sole balance of power since July 2011. Whilst his original 1997 platform centred on anti-pokies, he has since become an advocate in many other areas. Xenophon has been reported in the media as "left-of-centre", while Hansard
Hansard
Hansard is the name of the printed transcripts of parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of government. It is named after Thomas Curson Hansard, an early printer and publisher of these transcripts.-Origins:...
reveals that Xenophon and the Greens have found common ground on a number of issues.
Education and legal career
Xenophon attended Prince Alfred CollegePrince Alfred College
Prince Alfred College is an independent, day and boarding school for boys, located on Dequetteville Terrace, Kent Town, near the centre of Adelaide, South Australia...
and studied law at the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
, completing his Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
in 1981. While at University he was for a period a member of the Young Liberals
Young Liberals (Australia)
The Young Liberal Movement is the youth division of the Liberal Party of Australia, and membership is open to those between 16 and 30 years of age. Members of Young Liberals have full party-membership, and have the choice of which part they join...
, who helped him secure the editorship of the student newspaper On Dit
On Dit
On Dit is a student newspaper funded by the Adelaide University Union and advertising revenue which is published fortnightly during semester time. Founded in 1932, it is the third oldest student newspaper in Australia along with Semper Floreat On Dit is a student newspaper funded by the Adelaide...
through vote-rigging, an incident Xenophon says he regrets and helped turned him off party politics. In 1984, he established and became principal of his own law firm, Xenophon & Co., located in Paradise, South Australia
Paradise, South Australia
Paradise is a northeastern suburb of Adelaide in South Australia. It is bounded on the north side by the River Torrens. Amongst its neighboring suburbs are Highbury, Dernancourt, Athelstone, Newton and Campbelltown....
, which deals solely with workers compensation and personal injury claims. In this field he became successful, and between 1994 and 1997 he served as president of the South Australian branch of the Australian Plaintiff Lawyers' Association. After legislation was passed in 1992 by the Bannon
John Bannon
John Charles Bannon AO is a former Australian politician. He was the 39th Premier of South Australia, leading the Labor Party to government at the 1982 election. The Bannon Labor government was re-elected at the 1985 election and the 1989 election...
Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
government that saw the introduction of poker machines
Slot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
(pokies) into South Australia in 1993, the increased incidence of problem gambling came to Xenophon's attention in his legal practice.
South Australian Legislative Council
At the 1997 state election, Xenophon stood for the South Australian Legislative CouncilSouth Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly...
under an Independent No Pokies
No Pokies
No Pokies is an independent South Australian Legislative Council ticket that contested the 1997, 2002, and 2006 statewide legislative council elections...
ticket, advocating the reduction and abolition of poker machine
Slot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
s (colloquially known as "pokies"). He received a vote of 2.86 percent, a statewide total of 25,630 votes – much less than the 8.33 per cent needed to be elected in his own right – but by receiving a large number of preferences
Preferential voting
Preferential voting is a type of ballot structure used in several electoral systems in which voters rank candidates in order of relative preference. For example, the voter may select their first choice as '1', their second preference a '2', and so on...
first from microparties and then from Grey Power
Grey Power
Grey Power, an Australian political party lobby group, first registered in 1983. At the federal elections of 1984 and 1987 it ran candidates, but on both occasions these candidates did poorly...
, he achieved 1.08 quotas and was elected. This made Xenophon the first Independent elected to the Legislative Council in 60 years.
Following the 1997 election, the Olsen
John Olsen
John Wayne Olsen, AO was Premier of South Australia between 28 November 1996 and 22 October 2001.-Parliament:Olsen was a member of the Liberal Party and Member of Parliament for more than 20 years...
Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
government required the support of an additional two non-Liberal upper house members in order to pass legislation, with the Australian Democrats
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...
retaining the balance of power
Balance of power (parliament)
In parliamentary politics, the term balance of power sometimes describes the pragmatic mechanism exercised by a minor political party or other grouping whose guaranteed support may enable an otherwise minority government to obtain and hold office...
on three seats. However, defectors from Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
in the upper house, Terry Cameron
Terry Cameron
Terry Gordon Cameron is a former South Australian politician.Cameron entered the South Australian Legislative Council in 1994 to fill an Australian Labor Party vacancy, and then was re-elected as a Labor candidate in 1997. However he resigned from the party in order to support the Olsen Liberal...
and Trevor Crothers
Trevor Crothers
Trevor Crothers was a South Australian politician. Crothers entered the South Australian Legislative Council in 1987 to fill an Australian Labor Party vacancy, and then was re-elected as a Labor candidate in 1993...
, often brought Xenophon in to play. In 1998, Xenophon voted with Cameron and the government to proceed with the second reading of the ETSA
Electricity Trust of South Australia
The Electricity Trust of South Australia was the South Australian Government-owned monopoly vertically integrated electricity provider...
power sale bill. The bill became law when Cameron and Crothers voted with the Liberal government. Following the election of the Rann
Mike Rann
Michael David Rann MHA, CNZM , Australian politician, served as the 44th Premier of South Australia. He led the South Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party to minority government at the 2002 election, before attaining a landslide win at the 2006 election...
Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
government at the 2002 state election, the government required an additional five non-Labor upper house members to pass legislation, giving a shared balance of power to the Democrats on three seats, incumbent independents Xenophon and Cameron, with the Family First Party
Family First Party
The Family First Party is a socially conservative minor political party in Australia. It has two members in the South Australian Legislative Council...
winning their first seat.
Xenophon was an activist for a range of issues apart from the elimination of poker machines, speaking out on consumer rights, essential services, the environment, taxation, and perks for politicians. Xenophon was also vocal in the Eugene McGee hit-run affair, becoming an advocate for the victim's wife, with public opinion eventually forcing the Kapunda Road Royal Commission
Kapunda Road Royal Commission
The Kapunda Road Royal Commission is a royal commission created by the Government of South Australia to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the hit and run death of Ian Humphrey and the circumstances around the trial and conviction of Eugene McGee. The Royal Commissioner is Greg James QC...
that led to harsher laws for hit-run offences.
Xenophon is best known for his many media-friendly publicity stunts that have gained him both deep respect and ardent criticism. At the 2006 state election, he ran an aggressive campaign and attracted considerable publicity through a range of imaginative stunts, including riding a model locomotive "gravy train" outside Parliament House to protest MPs' superannuation entitlements, parading along Rundle Mall wearing a sandwich board
Sandwich board
A sandwich board is a type of advertisement composed of two boards and being either:*Carried by a person, with one board in front and one behind, creating a "sandwich" effect; or...
to advertise his campaign, and bringing a small goat to Parliament urging voters not to "kid around" with their vote. Despite media speculation that he would struggle to be re-elected due to the major parties preferencing against him, he attracted sufficient funding and volunteers to staff most state booths on polling day. He received 190,958 first preferences or 20.51 per cent of the total vote, enough to not only be re-elected himself, but also to elect the second No Pokies
No Pokies
No Pokies is an independent South Australian Legislative Council ticket that contested the 1997, 2002, and 2006 statewide legislative council elections...
candidate, Ann Bressington
Ann Bressington
Ann Bressington is an Australian politician. She was elected to the South Australian Legislative Council at the 2006 South Australian election as Nick Xenophon's running mate on his independent No Pokies ticket...
. His total was 5.46 per cent less than the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
, and he outpolled the Liberals in some booths, including the entire electoral district of Enfield
Electoral district of Enfield
Enfield is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. Named after the suburb of the same name, it is a 20 km² urban electorate in Adelaide's inner northern suburbs, taking in the suburbs of Angle Park, Broadview, Clearview, Enfield, Ferryden...
. Political analysts said Xenophon's vote at the election was drawn almost equally from the two major parties, and that Xenophon had become the new "third force" in South Australian politics. With the Labor government requiring four non-Labor upper house members to pass legislation, No Pokies on two seats shared the balance of power with Family First on two seats, the Democrats on one seat, with the SA Greens
Greens South Australia
Greens South Australia is a Green Party located in South Australia, a member of the federation of the Australian Greens party.The party has four members currently elected to parliament, Mark Parnell and Tammy Franks in the South Australian Legislative Council and Sarah Hanson-Young and Penny Wright...
winning their first seat.
Election campaign
On 11 October 2007, Xenophon called a press conference at the Adelaide ZooAdelaide Zoo
Adelaide Zoo is Australia's second oldest zoo, and the only major metropolitan zoo in Australia to be owned and operated on a non-profit basis. It is located in the parklands just north of the city centre of Adelaide, South Australia. It is a full institutional member of the Zoo and Aquarium...
in front of the giraffe enclosure, declaring he would "stick his neck out for South Australia" by announcing his resignation from the South Australian Legislative Council
South Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly...
in an attempt to gain election to the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
at the 2007 federal election. His platform consisted of anti-gambling and pro-consumer protection
Consumer protection
Consumer protection laws designed to ensure fair trade competition and the free flow of truthful information in the marketplace. The laws are designed to prevent businesses that engage in fraud or specified unfair practices from gaining an advantage over competitors and may provide additional...
measures, attention to the water crisis affecting the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
, ratifying Kyoto
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at fighting global warming...
, opposition against a "decrease in state rights", and opposition to WorkChoices
WorkChoices
The Workplace Relations Act 1996, as amended by the Workplace Relations Amendment Act 2005, popularly known as Work Choices, was a Legislative Act of the Australian Parliament that came into effect in March 2006 which involved many controversial amendments to the Workplace Relations Act 1996, the...
.
Following the announcement, ABC election analyst Antony Green
Antony Green
Antony John Green is an Australian psephologist and commentator for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.-Early years and background:...
predicted that Xenophon would easily win a seat, with Centrebet
Centrebet
Centrebet is an Australian bookmaker licensed in the Northern Territory.Centrebet originated from Alice Springs, Northern Territory and was the first bookmaker to be licensed in Australia in 1993 and the first bookmaker to go online in the Southern Hemisphere. Centrebet was acquired by its biggest...
speculating he would begin on a favourable $1.50 for and $2.70 against. Nick Minchin
Nick Minchin
Nicholas Hugh "Nick" Minchin is a former Australian politician, serving as a Liberal member of the Australian Senate representing South Australia from July 1993 to June 2011, and a former cabinet minister in the Howard Government....
, a Liberal senator from South Australia and a leader of the party's right faction, urged people not to vote for Mr Xenophon. Xenophon attracted preferences from minor parties such as the Greens, Democrats and Family First, whose preferences would be crucial were he to win less than 14.3% of the vote. Due to differences between federal and state electoral laws, Xenophon's name did not appear above the line on the ticket, and he was represented only by the letter "S" above the line, with voters having to search for his details.
As Xenophon had vacated his Legislative Council seat to run for the Senate, a joint sitting of the South Australian parliament was convened for 21 November 2007 to select Xenophon's replacement. The Rann Labor government agreed to Xenophon's choice of former valuer-general John Darley
John Darley (Australian politician)
John Andrew Darley , a former valuer-general, was appointed to the South Australian Legislative Council by a joint sitting of the Parliament of South Australia on 21 November 2007 to replace outgoing No Pokies MP Nick Xenophon. Darley was the third of three candidates on the independent No Pokies...
, who had stood as the third candidate on Xenophon's ticket in 2006. During the joint sitting convened to confirm the nomination, Ann Bressington
Ann Bressington
Ann Bressington is an Australian politician. She was elected to the South Australian Legislative Council at the 2006 South Australian election as Nick Xenophon's running mate on his independent No Pokies ticket...
criticised Xenophon, questioning his integrity and suitability for federal parliament, suggesting that his "anti-politician" image was more spin than reality. She also said Xenophon had demanded she contribute $50,000 towards campaign expenses at the 2006 state election. Xenophon said in response that he was "shocked and hurt" and "deeply upset" that she had failed to share her concerns with him in person, saying "privately and publicly, I have been very supportive of her." Some people whose causes Xenophon had championed also came forward to defend Xenophon. Di Gilcrist, whose husband's hit and run death resulted in the Kapunda Road Royal Commission
Kapunda Road Royal Commission
The Kapunda Road Royal Commission is a royal commission created by the Government of South Australia to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the hit and run death of Ian Humphrey and the circumstances around the trial and conviction of Eugene McGee. The Royal Commissioner is Greg James QC...
, was vocal in her rejection of Bressington's comments. In an interview the following day, Ms Gilcrist said "based on my experience not only as a victim who's dealt with Nick but also somebody who's worked with Nick and his office over the last two campaigns and in between, Nick is passionate and he cares and he is empathetic. And he is truly committed." Lower House Independent Kris Hanna
Kris Hanna
Kris Hanna was an Australian politician, and member for Mitchell in the South Australian House of Assembly from 1997 until 2010. Originally elected as a Labor member, Hanna defected to the SA Greens in 2003 before becoming an independent in 2006....
also defended Xenophon, arguing Bressington had "obviously been out to do some damage" and injure Xenophon's chances of being elected to the Senate.
During the campaign, Xenophon also complained to the Australian Electoral Commission
Australian Electoral Commission
The Australian Electoral Commission, or the AEC, is the federal government agency in charge of organising and supervising federal elections and referendums. State and local government elections are overseen by the Electoral Commission in each state and territory.The Australian Electoral Commission...
about political advertisements which falsely claimed he would not support rolling back the unpopular WorkChoices
WorkChoices
The Workplace Relations Act 1996, as amended by the Workplace Relations Amendment Act 2005, popularly known as Work Choices, was a Legislative Act of the Australian Parliament that came into effect in March 2006 which involved many controversial amendments to the Workplace Relations Act 1996, the...
laws if elected.
During the final days of the campaign, Xenophon executed his final campaign stunt – walking a large mule down Rundle Mall, allegedly to demonstrate his stubbornness. Xenophon received a total of 148,789 votes, representing 14.78% of enrolled electors. 30,054 of these – about one in five – voted below the line. Only the Labor and Liberal parties (each receiving about 35%) polled more votes.
2008–2011
Xenophon's addition to the Senate in mid-2008 resulted in him sharing the balance of powerBalance of power (parliament)
In parliamentary politics, the term balance of power sometimes describes the pragmatic mechanism exercised by a minor political party or other grouping whose guaranteed support may enable an otherwise minority government to obtain and hold office...
in the Senate with the Australian Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
on five seats and Family First
Family First Party
The Family First Party is a socially conservative minor political party in Australia. It has two members in the South Australian Legislative Council...
on one seat, the Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
government requiring the support of all seven, or the opposition, to pass legislation. Xenophon's election was at the expense of a Liberal candidate, without his presence the Coalition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
may have retained a Senate majority. Xenophon indicated plans to work closely with coalition renegade Barnaby Joyce
Barnaby Joyce
Barnaby Thomas Gerald Joyce , Australian politician, has been a National Party member of the Australian Senate representing the state of Queensland since July 2005...
. Xenophon has been reported in the media as "left-of-centre", whilst Hansard revealed that Xenophon and the Greens find common ground on a number of issues.
In February 2009, the Rudd Government
Rudd Government
The Rudd Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia of the Australian Labor Party from 2007 to 2010, led by Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister. The Rudd Government commenced on 3 December 2007, when Rudd was sworn in along with his ministry...
's $42 billion economic stimulus package struggled to see passage through the Senate. After some amendments, the package was supported by Labor, the Greens, and Family First, however Xenophon voted against the package. The package was reintroduced the next morning and this time Xenophon voted with it after some requests were agreed to by the Government. With Xenophon's support the package passed the Senate. Xenophon convinced the government to bring forward $900 million in Murray-Darling basin funds and other water projects, which included $500 million over three years for water buybacks, $200 million in water saving and water management grants for local communities, and $200 million in stormwater harvesting projects.
In a speech to the Senate on 17 November 2009, Xenophon labelled the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
as a criminal organisation, making allegations of members experiencing blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
, torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
and violence, labour camps and forced imprisonment
Imprisonment
Imprisonment is a legal term.The book Termes de la Ley contains the following definition:This passage was approved by Atkin and Duke LJJ in Meering v Grahame White Aviation Co....
, and coerced abortions
Scientology and abortion
The intersection of Scientology and abortion has a controversial history which began with Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's discussion of abortion in his 1950 book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. Hubbard wrote in Dianetics that abortion and attempts at abortion could cause trauma...
, echoing other criticisms of Scientology. Xenophon quoted from a letter he received written by Aaron Saxton
Aaron Saxton
Aaron Saxton is a former Scientologist and member of the organisation's elite group called the Sea Org. He contacted Senator Nick Xenophon of Australia, who quoted statements by Saxton about Scientology into the parliamentary record of the Australian Senate in November 2009.His critical comments...
, a whistleblower
Whistleblower
A whistleblower is a person who tells the public or someone in authority about alleged dishonest or illegal activities occurring in a government department, a public or private organization, or a company...
on Scientology who had previously served as a senior official within the organization in Australia and the United States. Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
stated he shared some of Xenophon's concerns, and would consider the call for a parliamentary inquiry. The federal opposition were not so keen on an inquiry. State Crime Command of New South Wales Police
New South Wales Police
The New South Wales Police Force is the primary law enforcement agency in the State of New South Wales, Australia. It is an agency of the Government of New South Wales within the New South Wales Ministry for Police...
confirmed the following day that they had received statements from Xenophon by seven former members, with investigations commencing. A request for a Senate inquiry was not successful, though the Greens voted with Xenophon in support of the proposal. After a subsequent Senate Committee investigation was carried out, a federal parliamentary committee of the Australian Senate recommended on 7 September 2010 that a charities commission be formed, with the purpose of investigating and monitoring transparency of charitable organizations. This recommendation received bipartisan support. Senator Xenophon commented on the report of the committee, "I believe reform is now inevitable. We can't continue to have business as usual when it comes to organisations that have been beyond any reasonable level of accountability." Xenophon emphasized the investigation began as a result of his concerns about Scientology, "This inquiry came about because of legislation I introduced for a public benefit test for religions and charities, and it was as a direct result of being approached by many victims of the Church of Scientology. Their evidence, their complaints played a key role in triggering this inquiry." In September 2011, Xenophon said he was disappointed with a Fair Work Ombudsman's final report into the Church of Scientology.
2011–current
From July 2011, Xenophon lost his shared balance of powerBalance of power (parliament)
In parliamentary politics, the term balance of power sometimes describes the pragmatic mechanism exercised by a minor political party or other grouping whose guaranteed support may enable an otherwise minority government to obtain and hold office...
position, with the Greens taking the sole balance of power after a strong showing at the 2010 election. He nominates key issues he will pursue before he is up for re-election at the next Australian federal election
Next Australian federal election
A federal election was held on Saturday, 21 August 2010 for members of the 43rd Parliament of Australia. The incumbent centre-left Australian Labor Party led by Prime Minister Julia Gillard won a second term against the opposition centre-right Liberal/National Coalition led by Opposition Leader...
as: gaming machine reforms, stopping palm oil
Palm oil
Palm oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oil are edible plant oils derived from the fruits of palm trees. Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis; palm kernel oil is derived from the kernel of the oil palm and coconut oil is derived from the kernel of the...
from being sold in Australia and breaking up the supermarket duopoly
Duopoly
A true duopoly is a specific type of oligopoly where only two producers exist in one market. In reality, this definition is generally used where only two firms have dominant control over a market...
, as well as better deals for Riverland irrigators in the Murray-Darling Basin rescue plan. He said his lack of power won't translate to a diminished voice... "Most of your influence comes from being able to influence the wider debate on an issue, and if you are successful, you can actually change the way the major parties vote. That's what I have done for the past three years and I will continue to do that. I can honestly say I plan to be a pesky, persistent bastard in and out of the Senate for the next three years".
Xenophon's anti-pokies
Slot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
stance was bolstered when independent Andrew Wilkie
Andrew Wilkie
Andrew Damien Wilkie is an Australian politician and independent federal member for Denison...
was elected to the federal lower house seat of Denison
Division of Denison
The Division of Denison is anAustralian Electoral Division in Tasmania.The division was created in 1903 and is named for Sir William Denison, who was Lt-Governor of Van Diemens Land 1847-55...
at the 2010 election. Wilkie was one of four crossbenchers who supported the Gillard
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
following the hung parliament
Hung parliament
In a two-party parliamentary system of government, a hung parliament occurs when neither major political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament . It is also less commonly known as a balanced parliament or a legislature under no overall control...
result. Wilkie campaigned heavily against pokies at the election and immediately began forging ties with Xenophon as soon as it was apparent that he was elected. Wilkie claims that problem gamblers in Australia lose $5 billion each year on pokies. In exchange for Wilkie's support, the Labor government are legislating for mandatory "pre-commitment" technology which would require people using high-bet machines to pre-commit how much they are willing to bet on a machine before they begin to play, as well as introducing safer $1 maximum bet per spin machines, which would not require pre-commitment. The plan came under sustained attack from sporting clubs and various businesses which financially benefit from poker machine use. Xenophon accused them of misrepresenting plans and creating hype. The Abbott
Tony Abbott
Anthony John "Tony" Abbott is the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian House of Representatives and federal leader of the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. Abbott has represented the seat of Warringah since the 1994 by-election...
Coalition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
opposes the plans, with Abbott saying "it is not Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
policy" and it will be "expensive and ineffective." According to polling, the Labor government's plans are supported by a clear majority of voters across the spectrum. AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
boss Andrew Demetriou
Andrew Demetriou
Andrew Demetriou is the chief executive officer of the Australian Football League and a former Australian rules footballer. He is the youngest son of Greek-Cypriot immigrants and, before becoming a VFL player, he worked in the dental import industry...
rejected suggestions that the AFL was joining Clubs Australia in their media campaign. Clubs Australia created www.WontWorkWillHurt.com.au as part of their campaign. Commentators from the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
gave planned political arguments without disclosure during commentary of a Semi-Final NRL
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
game, prompting the Australian Communications and Media Authority
Australian Communications and Media Authority
The Australian Communications and Media Authority is an Australian government statutory authority within the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy portfolio...
(ACMA) to investigate, stating "Channel Nine broadcast political material without adequately identifying it as such during the NRL first preliminary final". One of the accused commentators stated that the remarks were a "directive from up top that it be read by at least somebody". Investigations are predicted to take months. GetUp
GetUp
GetUp! is a left-leaning Australian activist group that campaigns on issues important to its members. It was launched in August 2005, the week that the Coalition took control of the Australian Senate....
attempted to counter the anti-pre-commitment campaign by running political commercials during the NRL grand final. Xenophon created a website, www.ItsABigFatLie.com.au, in attempts to counter the attacks. Clubs Australia accidentally posted private content on their website which indicated that clubs are purposely exaggerating the impact of the pre-committment plans. The Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
proposed a modification of the plan to remove the pre-committment and simply institute the $1 bet limit side of the plan. Gillard and Wilkie indicated they are open to the change. Clubs Australia, which had so far amassed a $40 million federal election "warchest" including $250,000 from Woolworths, claimed it would do even more harm to clubs.
In September 2011, Xenophon controversially used parliamentary privilege
Parliamentary privilege
Parliamentary privilege is a legal immunity enjoyed by members of certain legislatures, in which legislators are granted protection against civil or criminal liability for actions done or statements made related to one's duties as a legislator. It is common in countries whose constitutions are...
to accuse a South Australian Catholic priest of rape, in regard to accusations made about events that occurred in the 1960s. Monsignor David Cappo
David Cappo
David Cappo AO is Vicar General of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide in South Australia., Cappo, as Vicar General, is next in line to the current Bishop in South Australia, Philip Wilson.-Early life:...
and the Archbishop of Adelaide, Philip Wilson, were accused of failing to properly investigate the allegations when made in 2007. All three men deny the Senator's claims. Xenophon decided to use parliamentary privilege after receiving an "unsatisfactory" response from the Church when advising them of his intentions and ultimatum. Cappo, introduced by Mike Rann
Mike Rann
Michael David Rann MHA, CNZM , Australian politician, served as the 44th Premier of South Australia. He led the South Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party to minority government at the 2002 election, before attaining a landslide win at the 2006 election...
early in his premiership as South Australia's head of his Social Inclusion unit, was set to take on a national role by Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
. Due to the claims, Cappo stepped down from the new position after just one week, as well as from the Social Inclusion Board. Several days later, after high-level media coverage, Xenophon indicated he might not have used parliamentary privilege had he known the person he accused was about to take a period of leave.
Xenophon voted against the Clean Energy Bill
Clean Energy Bill, 2011
The Clean Energy Bill 2011 is a package of legislation that will establish a proposed Australian emissions trading scheme designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and limit global warming.-History:...
in November 2011. The carbon tax passed with the Labor government receiving Green support for the legislation in the Senate.
External links
- Official website
- Parliamentary biography
- Maiden speech, South Australian Legislative CouncilSouth Australian Legislative CouncilThe Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly...
, (4 December 1997) - Maiden speech, Australian SenateAustralian SenateThe Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
, (27 August 2008)