Cory Bernardi resigns from Liberal Party to start his new party, the Australian Conservatives
CORY Bernardi says the level of public disenchantment with the major political parties was behind his abandoning the Liberal Party to form a breakaway conservatives party.
NSW
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CORY Bernardi says the level of public disenchantment with the major political parties was behind his abandoning the Liberal Party to form a breakaway conservatives party.
His decision to abandon Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s party comes as the ruling coalition trails further behind the centre-left Labor Party in opinion polls seven months after elections.
Bernardi told the Senate he had resigned from the party to start his new party called Australian Conservatives.
“We will be united by the desire to create stronger families, to foster free enterprise, to limit the size and scope and reach of government while seeking to rebuild confidence in civil society,” Mr Bernardi told the Senate today.
Mr Bernardi said it was a difficult decision for him to make.
“I stand here today, both reluctant and relieved. Reluctant because this decision has weighed heavy on my heart, but relieved because while it is difficult, I believe it is the right thing to do.”
Mr Bernardi went on to say the body public “is failing the people of Australia”.
“It is clear that we need to find a better way,” Mr Bernardi said.
“The level of public disenchantment with the major parties, the lack of confidence in our political process and the concern about the direction of our nation is very, very strong. This is a direct product of us, the political class, being out of touch with the hopes and aspirations of the Australian people.”
Mr Bernardi said his Australian Conservatives party would give hope to those who despaired at the state of Australian politics, acknowledging the journey ahead would not be for the faint-hearted.
Mr Bernardi’s defection came on the first day that Parliament has met since Trump’s inauguration.
Attorney-General George Brandis launched an extraordinary parliamentary attack on rogue Mr Bernardi, accusing him of “breaking faith” by quitting the coalition to sit as a conservative independent.
Senator Brandis, like many of the government’s senior figures, labelled the defection a betrayal of conservative values.
He reminded the senator he had been elected by the voters of South Australia as a Liberal only seven months ago, and in the time since the government had changed none of its policies.
Earlier, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told a meeting of Liberal and Nationals MPs the honourable course would have been for Mr Bernardi to quit parliament.
Mr Bernardi cited the toppling of Tony Abbott as prime minister in 2015 as a reason for his defection, insisting politics was broken and voters were looking for alternatives outside the major parties.
“After the last election I said there was a problem. We need to fix it,” he said.
“When the pollster says the base doesn’t matter, when the election campaign is lacklustre and we hang on by one seat and trumpet it as a great victory and no one is investigating it, we have got a problem.”
Senator Bernardi insists he hasn’t approached any other MPs about joining his party.
He denied betraying Liberal voters, arguing his principles had remained consistent.
Senator Nick Xenophon, leader of a minor party Nick Xenophon Team, marked the occasion by bringing a doormat emblazoned with Trump’s face and with the message: “Australia: not your doormat.”
Mr Xenophon has taken exception to a terse phone call between Trump and Turnbull when they first spoke as national leaders last month.
Mr Xenophon said Trump’s reported language was “completely uncalled” for in a conversation with an ally such as Australia.
“This doormat might be a good gift for Cory Bernardi, given that as he’s such a big fan of Donald Trump,” Mr Xenophon said.
Opposition Senate Leader Penny Wong said the “extraordinary” resignation showed the government was bitterly divided and coming apart at the seams.
“This resignation is a consequence of the failure of leadership by the prime minister,” she said.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale was scathing of the new independent.
“In Senator Bernardi we have 6.5 foot of ego but not an inch of integrity. Not an inch,” he said.
The government will now need the support of nine of the 10 independent cross benchers to ensure any of its legislation clears the Senate against opposition from Labor and the Greens.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said Senator Bernardi was “a rat fleeing a sinking ship” and predicted his views would be rejected by their fellow South Australians.
“I know he’s got name recognition in his own lunch box. He loves himself more than anybody else,” she said.
“Do other people know him? I’m not really sure.”
- WITH AAP
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