Conservative MPs rule out defecting from the Liberal Party with SA Senator Cory Bernardi
SOUTH Australian Senator Cory Bernardi will quit the Liberal Party on Tuesday — but prominent conservative allies have denied they are willing to join him.
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SOUTH Australian Senator Cory Bernardi will quit the Liberal Party on Tuesday — but prominent conservative allies have denied they are willing to join him.
The Advertiser has confirmed that Senator Bernardi will use the resumption of Federal Parliament tomorrow to formally announce he is defecting from the Coalition to form a breakaway conservative group.
The move comes as the latest Newspoll shows the Coalition trailing Labor with just 46 per cent two-party-preferred voter support.
Senator Bernardi could use his political organisations — the Conservative Leadership Foundation, Australian Conservatives and the newly-created Australian Majority — as the basis for a breakaway party.
The Advertiser understands that the new party will be called Australian Conservatives.
The SA senator is a strong supporter of US President Donald Trump and has vowed to “Make Australia great again’’.
As Senator Bernardi went to ground in Canberra this morning, former minister Eric Abetz ruled out leaving the Liberals.
“Whilst there is some speculation about the possibility of the formation of another conservative party I remain committed to the Liberal Party and its founding principles,’’ Senator Abetz said.
“The Liberal Party was established for the promotion of virtues, values and ideals which help to build a stronger environment for individuals, families, small business and society at large to prosper and reach their full potential.”
Queensland MP George Christensen also ruled out defecting and said he remained loyal to Nationals Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce.
Mr Christensen said he had not spoken to Senator Bernardi in the past week.
He said the defection of any MPs from the Coalition would show the importance of the Government reconnecting with conservative voters.
“If there’s a move away, I suppose it sends a signal to the leadership that we cannot abandon conservative causes, conservative principles and conservative policies,’’ he said.
“We’ve got to re-embrace them, reconnect with part of our core constituency and just do that job that we were elected to do. And I think if we did that, there wouldn’t be breakaways.’’
Treasurer Scott Morrison said SA voters had elected Senator Bernardi to support the Liberal Party in Parliament but it was ultimately up to him to decide whether he left the government benches.
“At the last election he was elected as a Liberal senator by Liberal voters to support the Liberal Party in this Parliament and be part of our team,’’ Mr Morrison said.
“What he chooses to do is for him to decide.’’
Education Minister and SA Senator Simon Birmingham earlier expressed hope that Senator Bernardi would stay in the Liberal Party.
“Every comment I’ve ever seen Cory make, including over recent months, has been about the importance of Liberals, Nationals, conservatives — all those in the right of centre — working together and working as a strong Coalition,’’ Senator Birmingham said.
“And I’m confident that Cory will stand by his words.”
The outspoken Senator Bernardi was dumped from a parliamentary secretary role by former Liberal leader Tony Abbott in 2012 after he linked gay marriage to bestiality.
Senator Bernardi spent three months in New York last year on a taxpayer-funded secondment to the United Nations. He used his time there to make connections with Republican Party supporters of Mr Trump.