Just as with Kevin07, formerly Coalition-friendly independents gave life-long centre-right voters a way to break ranks without feeling like they were being disloyal. Zali Steggall is doing the same.
On Saturday, five federal seats will have a byelection, with particular attention being paid to tight races in Longman and Braddon. And all have implications for the major parties and their leaders.
Centre Alliance candidate Rebekha Sharkie is polling strongly ahead of next weekend’s byelection in the South Australian seat of Mayo.
AAP/Roy Vandervegt
With just over a week until the Super Saturday byelections, there is great interest in each of the five seats in play, including Mayo in South Australia.
Liberal candidate Georgina Downer, Greens candidate Major ‘Moogy’ Sumner, Centre Alliance candidate Rebekha Sharkie and Labor candidate Reg Coutts at the Mayo candidates forum.
David Mariuz/AAP
With the contest for the five ‘Super Saturday’ byelections heating up, Longman hangs in the balance, while Rebekha Sharkie has a solid lead in Mayo.
Recently, hard-right Coalition MPs have not had as much influence on government policy as they used to, and Malcolm Turnbull is probably benefiting from this.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
The poll was commissioned by the Australia Institute, a progressive think tank.
Rebekha Sharkie’s seat of Mayo is the most likely to change hands at the byelection, after she resigned in the light of the dual citizenship saga.
AAP/Lukas Coch
While Labor is likely to win all four of the upcoming byelections in seats it holds, Rebekha Sharkie faces a tougher fight in the South Australian seat of Mayo.
The dual citizenship crisis claimed five more scalps today: Katy Gallagher, Susan Lamb, Rebekha Sharkie, Justine Keay and Josh Wilson.
Emil Jeyaratnam/The Conversation using AAP images
Today’s High Court decision against Katy Gallagher has clarified how to interpret the constitution on this matter. But the problem of dual citizenship can only be properly fixed by a referendum.
Rebekha Sharkie was registered as renouncing her UK citizenship after she nominated for election.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
Malcolm Turnbull has told Rebekha Sharkie, the Nick Xenophon Team’s sole member in the House of Representatives, that her eligibility may have to be determined by the High Court.
Five crossbench members of the House of Representatives will take their seats in the 45th parliament, including Bob Katter, Andrew Wilkie, and the Nick Xenophon Team’s Rebekha Sharkie.
Lucas Coch/AAP