A vote for Nick Xenophon is a vote to slash the penalty rates that South Australian workers rely on.

Nick Xenophons Senate running mate, Stirling Griff, confirmed this morning that he was open to supporting a cut to weekend penalty rates if the Liberal Party introduced a bill.

HOST: Stirling Griff, if the Coalition introduces a bill to reduce penalty rates on Sundays for small business, that is 20 employees or fewer, would you support it?

GRIFF: We would have to consider it. Yeah, we would have to consider it. Wed have to consider it.

HOST: No, no, for small businesses on Sundays, would you support it?

GRIFF: We would consider it. We would consider it. We would have to discuss it amongst all our elected members and our membership base and consider our position.

ABC ADELAIDE 21 JUNE 2016

Nick Xenophon may have made a belated apology for his past support for cutting penalty rates, but it is clear Stirling Griff has not changed his view.

Mr Griff has consistently advocated a cut in penalty rates, describing them as a noose around the heads of a lot of small business people.

Mr Griff is not the sort of representative South Australia needs.

Four Xenophon Team candidates in Sturt, Adelaide, Port Adelaide and Wakefield have also left open supporting a cut to penalty rates.

There is no question Nick Xenophon will be returned to the Senate.

But a vote for Nick Xenophon also risks the election of representatives who will vote with the Liberal Party to cut penalty rates.

Penalty rates are not a luxury. They pay the bills and put food on the table for many South Australian workers.

A reduction in the take home pay for low-paid workers will also reduce the amount they spend and affect our economy.

A Shorten Labor Government will defend penalty rates.