MARK ALDRIDGE

NICK XENOPHON GROUP, WHO ENDS UP WITH YOUR VOTE?

Many people hold Nick on a pedestal, I was once one of those, until he started preferencing the major parties, rather than help those that would stand beside him, so who is Nick and what does he stand for?

Nick Xenophon entered the SA Upper House in 1997 as an independent on a “No Pokies” platform, receiving only 2.9% of the vote, but after preferences achieved a “quota” of 8.3% and was elected.

In 1997, there were around 9,000 poker machines in SA, now ten years later the number of poker machines in SA had increased by over 30% to around 12,500! That figure has continued to creep up since he headed off to Canberra.

Being a senator in Canberra is presumably a full-time job, but nevertheless, Nick has given his name to a “group” running in our State election on 15 March.

Are their election posters nothing more than an elaborate trick? It doesn’t say who their candidates are, and mainly features Nick’s grinning face and the words “people power”.

We cannot actually vote for Nick himself, unless Nick can split himself in two for Nick to be in both federal and state parliaments at the same time!

Some internet research will reveal that the lead candidate in this “group” in the upper house election is sitting upper house member John Darley, who took over Nick’s seat after he went to Canberra.

Darley was third on Nick’s ticket in 2006, behind Ann Bressington. Mr Darley, who is now 76 years of age, may just be planning to leave early and pass on the seat as Nicks running mates have in the past, so who are Nicks supporters actually electing, and what is their platform, no pokies again?

Nick won’t be sitting in state parliament making decisions on legislation that affects South Australian’s, he’ll be in Canberra because the people of SA sent him back there six months ago for another six year term.

Another pertinent question is why is Nick now preferencing the major parties, I personally would have thought, he would want support in the senate and indeed the upper house here in SA?

Does Nick want to be the only voice opposing the major parties, because on his own, he can do bugger all, to actually bring change he needs the support of likeminded representatives, yet he has turned his back on them.

Latest news is that Nick is backing the liberals, even backing them on their new move to abolish penalty rates, has he forgotten how hard the working class are doing it?

More interesting was Nick backing the carbon tax to get in favour with the Labor/Greens backed group “GetUp”, even when most Australians were against the tax.

The sad fact is, people who don’t read the news, or mores so avoid topics of a political nature, will vote for the posters, thinking they are voting for Nick Xenophon, who they get, and what they stand for, are not a part of the agenda, because if they were, their names and photos would be on Nicks posters.

For me, Nick is the face that pops up and tells us what we want to hear, then disappears just as quickly, the man I thought would open the door to change, and to more Independent voices in parliament, is doing the exact opposite, and as much as I love his messages, I for one expected more from him.

Mark Aldridge

Independent candidate for the Upper house

Genuinely representing U not a political party