Centre Alliance
Centre Alliance (CA), formerly known as the Nick Xenophon Team (NXT), is a centrist Australian political party based in the state of South Australia. It currently has one elected representative, Rebekha Sharkie in the House of Representatives.[2]
Not to be confused with Central Alliance.
Centre Alliance
Since its founding in July 2013, the party has twice changed names. At the time of the 2016 federal election, it was known as the Nick Xenophon Team. After Nick Xenophon founded SA-BEST, an affiliated state-based party, NXT sought to change its name to SA-BEST (Federal). However, prior to Australian Electoral Commission approval, Xenophon left politics, and the party withdrew its application and changed its name to Centre Alliance.[3] In 2018, Centre Alliance senator Stirling Griff stated that SA-BEST is "a separate entity, a separate association, a separate party" from Centre Alliance.[4]
The party's ideological focus is a combination of socially liberal and populist policies,[5][6][7] drawing from the positions of Xenophon.[8] Its present members have variously declared support for same-sex marriage, reform of the Australian Intelligence Community, action on climate change, support for military veterans, affordable tax cuts, Australian-made manufacturing (including defence-industry spending), and legalising euthanasia.[9][10]
Political positions[edit]
Centre Alliance is generally perceived as a centrist party. Some prominent party members are former Liberal Party members or staffers. Senator Rex Patrick was a staffer for Liberal Senator David Johnston before joining the party.[29] Federal MP Rebekha Sharkie is also a former member of the Liberal Party and formerly worked as a researcher and staffer for Liberal party figures from 2006.[30][31][32] At the 2016 Federal Election Rebekha Sharkie won the lower house seat of Mayo, previously a safe Liberal seat. Sharkie's win delivered the party's first and only seat in the House of Representatives.
Centre Alliance claims to support Australian industry, often citing economic nationalism on matters before the Parliament: "When it comes to Australian made, successive governments have abandoned Australian industries and jobs by failing to stand up for Australian farming and manufacturing." It states that better outcomes can be achieved by requiring Australian governments to buy Australian goods and services, which may amount to A$60 billion a year. It supports introducing labelling laws to provide customers with information on ingredients and their country of origin.
In October 2020, Centre Alliance supported the government's university reform bill.[33] The government stated that: “(the) reforms will create 30,000 (university) places next year, while cheaper fees in certain fields will deliver more graduates in areas of expected job growth”. The student cost of humanities, law and commerce degrees increased, while teaching, nursing, English, languages, maths, agriculture, science, health, architecture, environmental science, IT and engineering degrees decreased.
2019 federal election[edit]
Skye Kakoschke-Moore was announced as the lead Senate candidate for the 2019 election. Rebekha Sharkie was announced as the candidate for Mayo.[58] Kelly Gladigau was announced as the candidate for Barker.[59] Andrea Broadfoot was announced as the candidate for Grey.[60]
The SA Senate vote collapsed from 21.8% to 2.6%, and no Centre Alliance senator was elected. Stirling Griff and Rex Patrick kept their Senate seats, because they were not up for re-election.
Rebekha Sharkie was the only Centre Alliance candidate elected, retaining the seat of Mayo with 34.19% of the primary vote, and a two-party preferred vote of 55.14%.[61]
2022 federal election[edit]
The Centre Alliance ran only one candidate in the 2022 federal election, Rebekha Sharkie in the seat of Mayo. She was re-elected.[62]
Stirling Griff, while remaining with the party, ran as an independent "Group O" candidate for the Senate, in a ticket led by Nick Xenophon.[63] Both were unsuccessful.[64]
Rex Patrick, elected to the Senate with the party in 2016, left the party in August 2020. He ran as the lead candidate of the Rex Patrick Team, but failed to win re-election.[64]
