Reflections on the SA election by National Director Lyle Shelton.

The South Australian election was Family First’s best funded and most professional, thanks to your support.

But sometimes in politics not even that is enough.

The orange wave of One Nation votes which decimated the SA Liberals also bled votes from Family First.

And while Labor won in a landslide, an underreported aspect is the working-class abandonment of Labor to One Nation, particularly in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.

It’s not just the Liberals who were being sent a message.

As for Family First, your party’s share of the state-wide vote was 1.8 per cent. In the Legislative Council count, it’s slightly better on 2.3pc.

With counting expected to take weeks to finalise, Deepa Mathew’s chance of securing a seat for Family First won’t be known for some time.

Family First achieved more than four percent in three House of Assembly electorates - Croydon, Elizabeth and Taylor.

The SA election has confirmed a shift in politics but what is not known is if it will be sustained.

One Nation does not have a good track record of holding things together - time will tell.

Years of woke and weak Liberal and Labor policies on mass immigration, climate and social issues like gender culminating in the Bondi massacre has jolted people out of their complacency about the direction of Australia.

For a party led by a Queensland Senator to garner more primary votes than the SA Liberals speaks to the deep concern people feel about the dangerous drift of our nation.

Family First has recognised this drift for years and it is why your party re-joined fight five years ago.

Uniquely, Family First recognises that the political hostility to the Judeo Christian ethics that underpin strong marriages and families and which wars against the human rights of the most vulnerable is our greatest internal threat.

While we agree with much of One Nation’s agenda, your party has a vital role to play, notwithstanding last night’s disappointing result.

Only Family First can field candidates of Deepa’s Christian character and professional experience.

Your financial generosity and volunteering spirit has built a political movement that has come a long way.

While we will continue to watch the Legislative Council counting closely, there is a sense of disappointment.

But this is tempered by a sense of achievement for the incredible campaign just run fuelled by thousands of generous donors, hundreds of sacrificial volunteers and 37 quality candidates.

Special thanks to Deepa for standing strong, her upper house running mate Christopher Brohier, SA campaign director Jack Snelling, volunteer coordinator Nicky Rawlings and too many unsung heroes to name, including those who faithfully prayed.

As people of Christian faith, we sense we have not come this far for no reason.

While watching the SA count, Family First will continue preparations for the Victorian election in November and NSW next March.

By God’s grace, Family First is determined to keep fighting for your family.