Miranda Live: Choice between Australian Conservatives or ‘populists’ says Cory Bernardi
THEY’VE been derided and urged to deregister, but Cory Bernardi says his Australian Conservatives are the only thing standing between “populists” such as Derryn Hinch or the Greens taking power.
THEY’VE been derided and urged to deregister, but Cory Bernardi says his Australian Conservatives are the only thing standing between “populists” such as Derryn Hinch or the Greens taking power.
Federal Assistant Minister to the Treasurer Michael Sukkar took aim at the Liberal defector’s new party this week, saying the Australian Conservatives should deregister after a poor showing in the recent South Australian election and Batman by-election.
But Mr Bernardi fired back, telling Miranda Devine’s online radio show Miranda Live, voters were shifting from the two major parties — and the government should worry where they’re going.
LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW:
“What Michael Sukkar doesn’t understand: In every state, a cross party senator will be elected — does he want that crossbencher to be a Derryn Hinch or a Sarah Hanson-Young?” he said.
“You can have a principled, policy focused crossbencher acting in the best interest of the country.
“Or you can abandon it to the populists.”
But Mr Bernardi admitted the recent South Australian election — which saw the party only claim 3.5 per cent of the vote — was disappointing.
“But we have to start somewhere, we never hid that we were a start up party,” he said.
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MORE MIRANDA LIVE:
• Miranda Live: Bernardi says the Conservatives are going nowhere
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