No Pokies

No Pokies was an independent South Australian Legislative Council ticket that ran upper house candidates at the 1997, 2002 and 2006 state elections. Poker machines or "pokies" are the Australian version of slot machines. It was replaced by the Nick Xenophon Team in 2013.

Nick Xenophon in September 2008.

Independents elected from this ticket consist of:

  • Nick Xenophon, barrister and anti-gambling campaigner, elected in 1997 on 2.9 percent with preferences and again in 2006 on 20.5 percent
  • Ann Bressington, anti-drugs campaigner, elected in 2006 as Xenophon's first of two running mates
  • John Darley, former valuer-general, third running mate in 2006 was appointed on 21 November 2007 to replace outgoing MP Nick Xenophon, re-elected in 2014

Xenophon's vote at the election came approximately equally from Labor and Liberal party voters.[1]

Federal politics

Xenophon resigned from the South Australian Legislative Council in early October 2007 to stand for the Australian Senate as an independent at the 2007 federal election in which he was successful, on a primary vote of 14.78 percent.[2] ABC election analyst Antony Green had stated prior to the election that Xenophon would win a seat, while Centrebet speculated his odds would start on a favourable $1.50 for and $2.70 against. Nick Minchin "urged people not to vote for Mr Xenophon",[3] with the Liberal Party's 2006 upper house vote only 5.5 percent higher, and polled lower than Xenophon in some booths.[4]

Xenophon's federal platform consists of anti-gambling, pro-consumer protection, attention to the water crisis, ratifying Kyoto, opposition against what he calls a decrease in state rights, and opposition to WorkChoices.[1] 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. Xenophon has been reported in the media as "left-of-centre",[5] whilst Hansard reveals that Xenophon and the Greens have found common ground on a number of issues.[6]

Parliamentarians

Federal
  • Senator Nick Xenophon (SA), 2008–2017 (elected in 2007, continues for Nick Xenophon Team)

South Australia

References
  1. "Fearful of Xenophon in Senate". theage.com.au. 2007-10-12. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  2. "Senate State First Preferences By Candidate". Results.aec.gov.au. 2007-12-20. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  3. Nance Haxton (2007-10-12). "No Pokies MP odds-on for Senate seat". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  4. "South Australia State Election 2006. The Poll Vault: Xenophon looking good. Australian Broadcasting Corporation". ABC. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  5. Doherty, Ben (18 October 2007). "Recognise these men? They may hold balance of power". The Age. Melbourne, Australia. Retrieved 18 November 2009.
  6. Smith, Tony (December 2008). "New fangs for the platy-tiger? The Senate and the Rudd Government in 2008" (PDF). Democratic Audit of Australia. ISSN 1835-6559. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 September 2009. Retrieved 18 November 2009.
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