Nick Xenophon QUITS senate after nine years in parliament 

Senator Nick Xenophon has announced he will quit federal parliament to run in the South Australian state election. 

Senator Xenophon will run in the South Australian seat of Hartley election in March 2018. 

The senator said his party would represent a political centre and ‘not a choice from the extreme Left or the extreme Right’. 

After nine years in parliament, it is believed he will be replaced by a Nick Xenophone Team candidate. 

The crossbencher, whose future in Canberra was already under a cloud given constitutional questions over his citizenship, says he would have made the announcement earlier if it wasn’t for a High Court case.

‘This will be the toughest political fight of my life,’ he told reporters in Adelaide on Friday.

‘But I’m up for that challenge because I love our state, our people and I believe that if you are in politics you should be there to make a difference.’

Senator Xenophon will wait for the High Court decision next week but will continue to run for in the state election despite the outcome. 

The South Australian senator previously revealed he could be British through his father, despite being born in Australia.

The senator said his decision to quit parliament was not because of the High Court citizenship case which came to light in August.

Senator Xenophon said his move was not because of the High Court citizenship case