Xenophon believes Mayo could fall
Independent senator Nick Xenophon believes his party has a big chance of unseating dumped minister Jamie Briggs in one of the government’s safest seats in South Australia.
There’s a possibility the Xenophon team could have three senators and a lower house MP with Rebekha Sharkie polling well in the Adelaide Hills seat of Mayo.
“Rebekha has got a really good chance of causing a massive upset,” Xenophon told ABC Radio on Wednesday.
Xenophon said he would be shocked if Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull lost the July 2 election.
“I still think it’s Malcolm Turnbull’s election to lose,” he said.
“I’d actually be quite shocked if Malcolm loses.”
An analysis of Newspoll this week showed that the Nick Xenophon Team was attracting about one in five primary votes in South Australia, at the cost of the Coalition, Labor and the Greens.
The seat has been held by the Liberals since it was created in 1984, first by Alexander Downer and then Briggs.
Briggs resigned from the ministry in December 2015 after a late night incident in Hong Kong involving a female public servant.
Third party candidates have a record of strong showings in Mayo.
Stay informed, daily
Singer John Schumann, representing the Australian Democrats, came close to unseating Downer in 1998, polling more than 22 per cent of the primary vote. The Democrats had also polled well in the 1990 election, and lawyer Brian Deegan, standing as an independent, attracted 15 per cent of the primary vote in 2004.
– with AAP
