Nick Xenophon has announced his plans to resign from the federal Senate to pursue politics closer to home.
In a statement to the media on Friday, the powerbroker revealed that he had been thinking about making the move since the power blackout in South Australia last year but that his plans had been delayed due to his referral to the high court over concerns regarding section 44.
Xenophon added that he thought the timing was right to announce his plan to move to the seat of Hartley in preparation for the March 2018 elections.
He said a big part of his motivation was that he did not want South Australia to continue to be left behind, citing the state’s high unemployment and declining population.
“Running for the seat of Hartley will be a big gamble for me, even though, as you know, I’m not a gambler,” but says that he is committed to driving a campaign for real change.
“I’ve decided that you can’t fix South Australia’s problems in Canberra without first fixing our broken political system back home,” Xenophon said.
“I intend to be part of that change, with SA-BEST strongly contesting seats in both houses of State Parliament – especially in the lower house where Governments are formed.”