Centre Alliance facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Centre Alliance
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| Abbreviation | CA |
| Founder | Nick Xenophon |
| Founded | 1 July 2013 |
| Preceded by | No Pokies |
| Headquarters | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre |
| Colours | Orange Black |
| Slogan | Working in South Australia's interests |
| House of Representatives |
1 / 150
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| Senate |
0 / 76
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Centre Alliance (CA) is a political party in Australia. It used to be called the Nick Xenophon Team (NXT). This party is based in South Australia and is known for its middle-ground approach to politics.
Currently, Centre Alliance has one elected representative, Rebekha Sharkie. She is a member of the Australian House of Representatives. Since 2022, she has been the party's only candidate. She has even called herself "a party of one."
The party started in July 2013 and has changed its name twice. It was first the Nick Xenophon Team. Later, it became Centre Alliance.
The party's main ideas come from Nick Xenophon. They combine socially open views with policies that appeal to everyday people. For example, they support same-sex marriage, action on climate change, and helping military veterans. They also want to make sure more products are "Australian-made."
Contents
The Story of Centre Alliance
How the Party Started
The party's founder, Nick Xenophon, first ran for election as an independent. He was part of a group called "No Pokies" in South Australia. He was elected to the state parliament in 1997 and 2006.
In the 2013 Australian federal election, Nick Xenophon's group did very well. They won a lot of votes in South Australia. Nick Xenophon was re-elected to the Senate, which is part of Australia's national parliament.
From Group to Party
In 2014, Nick Xenophon's group officially became the Nick Xenophon Team (NXT). Key members included Xenophon, John Darley, Stirling Griff, and Connie Bonaros.
In 2017, Nick Xenophon announced he would start a new party for South Australian state elections. This party was called Nick Xenophon's SA-BEST. It focused on issues important to South Australia.
Later, the Nick Xenophon Team (NXT) wanted to change its name to SA-BEST (Federal). But before this happened, Nick Xenophon left politics. So, the party changed its name again to Centre Alliance in 2018.
In August 2020, Senator Rex Patrick left the party. He then started his own group called the Rex Patrick Team.
What Centre Alliance Believes In
Centre Alliance is seen as a middle-ground party. Some of its members used to be part of the Liberal Party. For example, Rebekha Sharkie worked for Liberal politicians before joining Centre Alliance. She won a seat in the House of Representatives in 2016. This was the party's first and only seat in the House.
Supporting Australian Industry
Centre Alliance strongly supports Australian businesses and jobs. They believe that the government should buy more Australian-made goods and services. They say this could be worth A$60 billion each year.
They also want clear labels on products. These labels would show where ingredients come from. This helps customers know if they are buying Australian-made items.
Education and Other Policies
In October 2020, Centre Alliance supported a government plan for universities. This plan aimed to create more university places. It also made some degrees cheaper, like teaching and nursing. Other degrees, like humanities and law, became more expensive. The goal was to train more people in areas where jobs were growing.
Elections and Results
The 2016 Federal Election
The Nick Xenophon Team (NXT) ran candidates in the 2016 Australian federal election. They had candidates for the Senate in every state. They also had candidates for the House of Representatives in South Australia and some other states.
During the election campaign, NXT faced criticism from other major parties. Despite this, they did well in South Australia. Their presence meant that the two major parties received fewer votes in many South Australian seats.
In the end, three NXT senators and one House of Representatives member were elected. Nick Xenophon and Stirling Griff became senators. Skye Kakoschke-Moore also became a senator. Rebekha Sharkie won the House of Representatives seat of Mayo.
Nick Xenophon resigned from the Senate in 2017. Rex Patrick took his place. Skye Kakoschke-Moore also resigned in 2017.
The 2019 Federal Election
For the 2019 Australian federal election, Skye Kakoschke-Moore was the main Senate candidate. Rebekha Sharkie ran again for Mayo.
The party's Senate votes in South Australia dropped significantly. No Centre Alliance senator was elected in 2019. However, Stirling Griff and Rex Patrick kept their Senate seats because they were not up for re-election that year.
Rebekha Sharkie was the only Centre Alliance candidate elected. She successfully kept her seat of Mayo.
The 2022 Federal Election
In the 2022 Australian federal election, Centre Alliance ran only one candidate. This was Rebekha Sharkie in the seat of Mayo. She was re-elected to her seat.
Stirling Griff ran as an independent candidate for the Senate. He was part of a group led by Nick Xenophon. Both were not successful in winning seats.
Rex Patrick had left the party in August 2020. He ran his own team, the Rex Patrick Team, but he also did not win re-election.
Election Results Summary
| House of Representatives (South Australia) | ||||||
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| Election | Leader | Candidates | Seats won | ± | Total votes | % |
| 2016 | Nick Xenophon |
11 / 11
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1 / 11
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 1 |
221,210 | 21.26% |
| 2019 | None |
3 / 10
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1 / 10
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46,931 | 4.38% |
| 2022 | None |
1 / 10
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1 / 10
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36,500 | 3.32% |
| Senate (South Australia) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election | Leader | Seats won | Total seats | ± | Total votes | % | |
| 2013 | Nick Xenophon |
1 / 6
|
1 / 12
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1 |
258,376 | 24.88% | |
| 2016 | Nick Xenophon |
3 / 12
|
3 / 12
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2 |
230,866 | 21.76% | |
| 2019 | None |
0 / 6
|
2 / 12
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 1 |
28,416 | 2.60% | |
| 2022 | None |
0 / 6
|
0 / 12
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2 |
0 | 0% | |
People Who Have Represented Centre Alliance
Current Members
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Rebekha Sharkie MP (for Mayo, South Australia) since 2016.
Former Members
Federal Parliament
- Senator Nick Xenophon (South Australia), from 2008 to 2017.
- Senator Skye Kakoschke-Moore (South Australia), from 2016 to 2017. She resigned due to rules about dual citizenship.
- Senator Rex Patrick (South Australia), from 2017 to 2020. He left the party in August 2020 to become an independent.
- Senator Stirling Griff (South Australia), from 2016 to 2022.
South Australian Parliament
- John Darley MLC, from 2007 to 2017. He became an independent in 2017.
See also
In Spanish: Alianza del Centro (Australia) para niños
- 1997 South Australian state election
- 2006 South Australian state election
- 2007 Australian federal election
- 2013 Australian federal election
- 2016 Australian federal election
- 2019 Australian federal election
