MP accused of assault says home detention makes him 'more wedded' to electorate
South Australian MP Nick McBride, who has been charged with aggravated assault, says home detention will make him "more focused" on his electorate ahead of the SA election in March.
Independent state MP Nick McBride says his confinement in home detention will make him a stronger advocate for his regional electorate, suggesting those calling for his resignation are "quite desperate to find any reason why I should not be in this position".
Mr McBride, an independent MP and former Liberal who represents South Australia's South East seat of MacKillop, faces charges of aggravated assault against his wife and breaching bail after an alleged incident at Conmurra on December 27.
His lawyers have told the court the allegations are "denied and disputed".
The regional MP was on Tuesday granted home detention bail at his Robe house after spending 10 days in Mount Gambier prison.
On Friday, Mr McBride said the conditions of his home detention do not preclude him from attending official events, saying it actually meant he was "more wedded" to his electorate.
"It doesn't rule me out from all the important stuff that I do do in my work [and] need to do over the next four years and also towards the March election," Mr McBride told ABC South East SA Breakfast.
"The role that I'm now facing is more pointed; it's very well focused around all the work.
"I'm either going to be sort of in my office or at my house of residence or at work — there is no other alternative."
Nick McBride's office is located in Naracoorte in the state's South East. (ABC News)
Mr McBride suggested this puts him in a better position than other candidates and MPs.
"They can go off and do their own jaunts and family days and have time away and time off," he said.
"I will be actually focused more on work than anyone possibly could just by the mere fact that my restrictions only let me out to work."
Mr McBride, whose electorate spans more than 34,000 square kilometres from Millicent to Tailem Bend, conceded there "may be some social aspects of my campaign" that are harder to attend.
But he said overall "I don't think things are going to change all that much".
Mr McBride has represented MacKillop since 2018. (Supplied: SA Parliament)
He also rejected suggestions from his former Liberal colleagues — including Opposition Leader Ashton Hurn and federal MP Tony Pasin — that he should step down.
"[They are] coming from a narrative that they are in the back seat and perhaps could be seen as quite desperate to find any reason why I should not be in this position," he said.