Senator Cory Bernardi rules out rejoining Liberal party

Cory Bernardi rules out rejoining the Liberal Party after his Australian Conservatives venture.

Senator Cory Bernardi speaks during a press conference in 2017. Picture: AAP

Independent senator Cory Bernardi has ruled out rejoining the Liberal Party after wrapping up his failed Australian Conservatives venture.

Conservative Coalition MPs were open to Senator Bernardi returning to the party he abandoned in 2017 in protest of Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership, but the South Australian said last night that any attempt to return to the government fold would cause “new bad blood.”

“I’ve had a few mates who have contacted me and said I should go back to the party,” he told Sky News.

“I don’t think it’s actually particularly fair for me to make that request. I left the party to do something. I’m a big boy. I wear the consequences of that.”

Last week, Senator Bernardi did not rule out leaving politics altogether before his term expires in 2022. If he were to retire, he would be replaced by a Liberal because he was elected number one of their South Australian ticket in 2016.

.@corybernardi says he 'doesn't think it's fair' for him to request to rejoin the @LiberalAus Party.

'It would just open a whole bunch of new bad blood and I think the principle is right is not to seek to rejoin them.'

MORE: https://t.co/tb2LL9eh0s #PMLive pic.twitter.com/Ua7OPkKyzc

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) June 24, 2019

Despite the open-mindedness of some Liberals to a return, senior government sources told The Australian last week that Senator Bernardi’s decades-long feud with Adelaide Liberals like former defence minister Christopher Pyne would make any reconciliation very difficult.

The government’s most senior South Australian — and leader of the moderate faction — Simon Birmingham yesterday played down any suggestions his former factional enemy could return to the party.

“Cory chose to leave the Liberal Party, he sits as an Australian Conservative senator, apparently the party now he’s being wound up, he made that decision,” Senator Birmingham told Sky News.

“The party in South Australia has had a real period of success in unity over recent years … I’ll make sure we do everything we can to preserve that success and unity into the future.”