South Australian Senator Lucy Gichuhi goes from Family First to independent to Liberal

THERE was a time when Kenyan-born Lucy Gichuhi felt she had 0.000001 per cent chance of being an Australian parliamentarian.

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ACCIDENTAL South Australian senator Lucy Gichuhi has joined the Liberal Party, making the one-time Family First candidate a member of the Federal Government.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull this week sealed the surprise deal after months of talks between Senator Gichuhi and the SA Liberals.

Former SA premier John Olsen played a key role in securing the loyalty of the senator – who received only 152 primary votes – and he insisted there was no “sweetheart” agreement.

Senator Gichuhi on Friday night attended a Liberal State Council meeting to announce her decision to party faithful.

She said joining the Liberal Party was the “optimal way to serve South Australia and the nation as a whole”.

Her decision hands the Government one more vote in the Senate but it still needs the support of eight crossbenchers to pass legislation.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull with new Liberal and South Australian Senator Lucy Gichuhi in his office.

The Kenyan-born South Australian was sworn into federal Parliament in May following a recount of the 2016 election results sparked when the High Court ruled Family First’s Bob Day was not validly elected.

Senator Gichuhi has said she only agreed to be second on the Family First ticket because she wanted the experience but that the chances of being elected were “0.000001 per cent”.

As she prepared to enter the Senate, Family First dissolved and merged with Liberal defector Cory Bernardi’s Australian Conservatives. It led to her joining federal Parliament as an independent.

Cabinet Minister Simon Birmingham said it quickly became apparent that Senator Gichuhi shared Liberal beliefs.

Discussions became more formal around October when Mr Olsen, current state party president, sat down with the Senator to discuss party values.

Conversations continued through to December when The Advertiser understands Senator Gichuhi advised she would likely sign up. But she considered the decision further on a trip to Kenya and first wanted to speak to Mr Turnbull about the move.

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Senator Gichuhi arrived back in Australia on Monday and set up a phone call with the Prime Minister on Wednesday. She then signed the paperwork to become a member of the Liberal Party.

“Lucy wanted to make sure she was comfortable with the values and procedures of the Liberal Party and wanted to feel comfortable that this was an appropriate ‘home’ for her,” Mr Olsen said.

“Perhaps it was her legal training and that accountants by nature are cautious but I think she took her time because she wanted to align her personal beliefs with the party and wanted to be sure of the common ground.”

Mr Olsen said to Senator Gichuhi’s credit there were no discussions about securing a favourable position on Liberal Senate ticket for the next Federal Election.

“That we never discussed anything of that nature showed the calibre of the person,” he said.

Having only secured a three-year term Senator Gichuhi must seek re-election when Australia next goes to the polls — either later this year or in 2019.

It means she now faces the task of later this year having to convince party members to support her in snaring a winnable spot on ticket.

Mr Turnbull said he was “delighted” Senator Gichuhi was joining the Liberal team.

“Lucy Gichuhi is an inspiration. Her story is a remarkable tale of perseverance, selfless sacrifice for family and achievement over adversity,” he said.

“Lucy’s values are fundamentally Liberal values. Freedom of choice, conscience, thought and belief. A fair go, mutual obligation and contributing back to society.”

Senator Gichuhi, who grew up barefoot on a subsistence farm in rural Kenya, said she had spent her first nine months in the Senate as a student of the Parliament, the parties and the crossbench.

“Independence can be very good, however in my view, interdependence is much better and I’ve chosen to join the Liberal Party team,” she said.

She said she hoped to be a voice for youth, women, migrants, minority groups, workers, employers and emerging communities within the party.

Senator Gichuhi’s decision would likely spark further debate about the ability of politicians to switch parties once in Parliament.

The likely replacement for Nick Xenophon Team’s Skye Kakoschke-Moore, was firming as Tim Storer, who was no longer a member of the party.

Senator Bernardi’s decision to start his own party after securing a six-year term as a Liberal was widely criticised.

Late last year, the replacement for One Nation’s Malcolm Roberts Fraser Anning quit the party. Senator Anning was now being courted by the Nationals, Bob Katter and the Liberal Democrats.