chris mcdermott has left Sarah Game’s Fair Go Party in a sudden split that deepens instability in the campaign just over a week before the state election. Mcdermott confirmed his departure on Wednesday morning, saying he had earlier signalled to Game that “it was not going the way I hoped it would” and that there were “many straws to break the camel’s back. “
What Happens When Chris Mcdermott Leaves?
The immediate effect is organisational and electoral. Mcdermott has been cast out of the party ticket and is expected to stand as an independent. The Electoral Commission of South Australia has confirmed that, despite his departure, Mcdermott will remain listed on ballot papers as the first candidate for the Fair Go upper house ticket and that this cannot be altered ahead of voting.
The split also follows another recent departure from the same party: a former candidate who left to run in a coastal seat as an independent. Remaining party candidates have registered concern but at least one candidate has affirmed loyalty to the party’s ticket. Mcdermott’s Facebook page continued to reference the party name later on Wednesday afternoon, and he had participated in a parliamentary event with the party and stakeholders shortly before his exit.
What Are the Forces Breaking the Partnership?
Problems cited by chris mcdermott and party leaders point to a breakdown in basic campaign operations and personal dynamics. Core drivers evident in the split include:
- Communication breakdown: limited direct conversation between Mcdermott and the party leadership, described as a deterioration in their friendship over weeks.
- Control over messaging: demands for approval before Mcdermott could post online, creating friction over how he represented himself and the ticket.
- Operational delays: hold-ups in producing How‑To‑Vote cards just days before early voting opens, raising concern about campaign readiness.
- Personal tensions: a lengthy phone call with the leader’s mother was cited among the incidents that contributed to Mcdermott’s decision.
- Resource commitment and expectations: the leader said she had invested campaign funds and material support—citing specific expenditure on corflutes with Mcdermott’s image—yet judged the campaign had not shown what he stands for.
What Happens Next?
The campaign now faces a constrained set of paths. Operationally, the party must continue with its listed ticket while managing internal frustration from candidates and donors. For Mcdermott, the expectation that he will run as an independent creates the potential for vote splitting in the upper house contest, even as his name remains formally attached to the party ticket on ballot papers. Observers should watch whether remaining candidates consolidate behind the party ticket or shift their messaging to compensate for the loss.
Given the narrow window before early voting opens, logistical realities—ballot listings that cannot be changed and printed materials already invested in—will shape outcomes more than new campaign manoeuvres. Both sides have cited goodwill and prior collaboration on community work, yet described the relationship as irreconcilable and politically untenable. Voters and stakeholders should expect a constrained, closely fought finish to the campaign, and to track whether chris mcdermott pursues an independent candidacy in the coming days
