CLIVE Palmer’s circus act in the Senate faces a new threat with independent Nick Xenophon starting up a new party — NXT — to field candidates at the next election.

Senator Xenophon is hugely popular in South Australia, securing a record vote of almost one in four voters — 24.9 per cent — in the 2013 election.

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He has previously elected a new candidate to state parliament in SA on the basis of his own first-preference quota.

Now he’s turning his sights on going national and is in talks with a range of mystery high-profile candidates to run for the Senate. The party will be called NXT — Nick Xenophon Team.

“Voters are also sick of parties that promise one thing before an election and do the opposite afterwards,’’ he said.

Senator Xenophon said the current system was at breaking point because of a lack of trust in politicians.

“For too long the major parties have created serious voter disengagement,’’ he said.

Senator Xenophon stressed that no current independent senators, such as former PUP member Jacqui Lambie, would be joining his new party.