Independent senator Nick Xenophon launched his his new political party this week, saying the Nick Xenophon Team, or NXT, would improve the disconnect and distrust that has emerged between politicians and voters.
Mr Xenophon says NXT will represent the “sensible centre of politics” and encourage candidates with bold ideas who know right from wrong.
Speaking to the ABC, he said many Australians were disillusioned with their political representatives and an alternative voice could help transform the cynicism felt by the public.
“I’m hoping that we can press the reset button in the new year, that the tone of the place will improve and that we can actually work on solving the nation’s problems,” he said.
“At the moment there is such a toxic partisan disconnect.”
The senator added that a NXT candidate for a marginal seat in the House of Representatives would keep the Coalition and Labor on their toes, though he said rumours he was considering contesting Education Minister Christopher Pyne’s seat of Sturt at the next election were groundless.
At the last election Senator Xenophon won almost a quarter of the statewide vote.
Adelaide lawyer Connie Bonaros, who ran for the forerunner of NXT – Team X – in the last South Australian election, told Neos Kosmos that the ideology behind the party was simple and eminently transferable across Australia.
“For Nick, politics has always been about right and wrong. These same principles will underpin his party. There is always room for common middle ground and a sensible centrist approach to politics – that is, what I believe, will drive NXT.”
Ms Bonaros, an advisor to Independent MP John Darley in the SA parliament, said that what drew her to Xenophon’s approach to politics was because “he champions causes that matter to the average person. He is a fearless advocate for South Australians and unwavering in his support for the things he believes in”.
“These qualities have made him popular not only amongst South Australian voters, but in the broader national context as well. The results of recent elections demonstrate, quite clearly, that voters are looking for a sensible alternative to the major parties.”