Cory Bernardi quits the Liberal Party to establish Australian Conservatives

Updated

South Australian senator Cory Bernardi has officially quit the Liberal Party to establish his own party, using a scathing speech to criticise colleagues for "failing the people of Australia".

Key points: Senator Bernardi says he was reluctant and relieved to the leave the party

He says it's time for a "better way, for a conservative way"

Coalition ministers turn on Senator Bernardi, describing his actions as "a betrayal"

The senator informed Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of his decision to defect shortly before a church service on Tuesday morning, which marked the start of the parliamentary year.

In a speech to colleagues, Senator Bernardi said he was reluctant and relieved to leave the party, saying the decision had "weighed heavily on his heart".

"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," he said.

"This is a direct product of … the political class being out of touch with the hopes and aspirations of the Australian people."

Senator Bernardi said his calls to restore faith in the political system had been ignored by some of his Liberal Party colleagues.

Sorry, this video has expired Video: Cory Bernardi confirms he is leaving the Liberal Party to establish his own party (ABC News)

"It really is time for a better way — for a conservative way," he said.

Senator Bernardi said his new party, the Australian Conservatives, would focus on limiting the size of government and provide hope to "those who despair at the current state of Australian politics".

The 47-year-old senator has been a controversial figure in the Liberal Party and is known for his inflammatory remarks on gay rights, Islam and climate change.

He said the Government's position on energy and climate change was one reason behind his decision to leave the party.

'It's not your ticket to really hand over'

Coalition ministers have turned on Senator Bernardi, describing his actions as "a betrayal", with some calling on him to resign from politics.

Education Minster Simon Birmingham said the defection was "a dog act" and thousands of South Australians may be rethinking their vote.

The ABC understands Mr Turnbull told the partyroom he asked Senator Bernardi why he was leaving so soon after the election, describing his response as "not satisfactory".

Attorney-General George Brandis said Senator Bernardi had not acted like a conservative and had broken a promise to his electorate by leaving the party.

"Breaking faith with the electorate, breaking faith with the people who voted for you, breaking faith with the people who have supported you through thick and thin for years, is not a conservative thing to do," he said.

Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne called on Senator Bernardi to resign and recontest as an independent.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said volunteers who worked for Senator Bernardi during the election campaign should be upset with his decision to leave the party.

"All the people who are in the Liberal Party who handed out his how-to-vote cards will ring him up and say, 'I handed out for the Liberal Party, I didn't hand out for the Cory Bernardi party,'" he said.

"It's not your ticket to really hand over, it's sort of ours."

When asked what advice he had for Senator Bernardi, Mr Joyce said he should "pray, pray hard".

Treasurer: We won't be distracted

Treasurer Scott Morrison insisted the Government would not be distracted by Senator Bernardi's defection, suggesting it would do little to ease concerns in the electorate.

He acknowledged concerns that mainstream politicians were not addressing issues such as housing affordability, jobs, electricity prices and childcare.

"People are worried that the mainstream parties are not addressing those concerns," he told ABC's 7.30.

"No change of personalities and [the] politics of Cory Bernardi, or anything else, is going to address those concerns — the Government can address those concerns and that's what we are doing."

Mr Morrison said he believed the Government could rely on support from Senator Bernardi in the Upper House.

"Before the last election, Senator Bernardi Gave his commitment to preselectors to be a Liberal in the Parliament, he gave his commitment to Liberal voters at the election…" he said.

"He also signed up to the platform we took to the last election when he was elected for a six-year term.

"There has been no change to that platform."

Party members, voters 'rightly disappointed'

In a statement, former prime minister Tony Abbott said he was disappointed at Senator Bernardi's decision and said more should have been done to keep him in the Liberal Party.

"While Cory and I have sometimes disagreed, I'm disappointed that more effort has not been made to keep our party united," he said in a statement.

"Cory Bernardi has made an important contribution to our public life and I deeply regret his decision to leave the Liberal Party."

Liberal MP Andrew Hastie said he considered Senator Bernardi "a good friend" but was disappointed he did not attend the party conference on Tuesday morning.

"I wish that he had attended the Liberal partyroom meeting this morning, looked us all in the eye and explained his reasons," he said.

"He was elected as a Liberal Party senator and owes his colleagues an explanation. Party members and voters will be rightly disappointed."

Topics: liberals, political-parties, government-and-politics, federal-government, community-and-society, australia

First posted</s>Ending months of speculation, Australia's right-wing Senator Cory Bernardi announced on Tuesday (7 February) that he will form his own Australian Conservatives party that "will give hope to those who despair at the current state of Australian politics".

The 47-year-old outspoken leader has been critical of the "moderate" nature of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull-led government and has also differed in views on controversial subjects like same-sex marriage, climate change and abortion.

Confirming his defection from the Liberal party and formation of a new political party, Bernardi said in Australia's upper house on Tuesday that the decision was "a very difficult decision" for him to take. "Perhaps the most difficult one of my political life," he said, adding that he has not spoken "to any sitting MPs" with regard to joining his party.

He added: "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.

"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 civil society.

"We will give hope to those who despair at the current state of Australian politics and who demand a better way for themselves, for their children and for the nation."

According to the BBC, the Senator, who runs his own website, blog and podcast, had spent time in the US closely watching the country's presidential election campaign, especially President Donald Trump's. Following Trump's victory, Bernardi reportedly wrote that he had learned "what needs to be done" in Australia.

"My time in the United States has been invaluable not only in identifying some of the common problems evident in global politics but also formulating solutions," he added.

In another message to his supporters, the Senator had said in March 2016 that his goal was to build a movement "to fight against the tyranny of political correctness" in his country.

Meanwhile, his fellow party members strongly condemned his latest move and the repeated criticism of own party members.

"The Liberal Party's values are not limited to conservatism. We are Liberals because we are open to new ideas; tolerant of difference," Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne reportedly said in a Twitter post.

Trade Minister Steve Ciobo said: "With one or two exceptions he's never laid a glove on the Labor Party. Every time he's been in the headlines it's been about criticism of his own parties."

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said voters would be "angry about the betrayal of the Liberal Party values".

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten took a dig at the ruling party over the defection and said: "A government which can't govern itself, can't govern the nation."</s>Conservative backbencher Cory Bernardi has informed the Senate he is quitting the Liberal party.

Senator Bernardi said he quit the party on Tuesday morning.

'I stand here today, both reluctant and relieved,' he told parliament.

'Reluctant because this decision has weighed heavy on my heart, but relieved because whilst it is difficult, I believe it is the right thing to do.'

He said it was perhaps the most difficult decision of his political career, but that it was 'the right thing to do'.

'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,' Mr Bernardi told the Senate.

'This is a direct product of us, the political class, being out of touch with the hopes and aspirations of the Australian people.'

George Brandis then told the Senate it was 'a sad day for the Liberal Party'.

'It is a sad day when someone leaves the family. Senator Bernardi will have to account to the Australian people and to his own conscience about how he can continue to sit in this Parliament having been elected as a Liberal, but that is a matter for him,' Mr Brandis said.

Labor's Penny Wong said the government was 'bitterly divided' and 'coming apart at the seams'.

Greens leader Richard Di Natale then said if Mr Bernardi was serious about standing up for his beliefs, he would have left the Liberal Party before the election whi

Earlier in the morning, Mr Bernardi formally called Mr Turnbull to state his intention to resign from the Liberal Party.

'I stand here today, both reluctant and relieved. Reluctant because this decision has weighed heavy on my heart, but relieved because whilst it is difficult, I believe it is the right thing to do. 'When as a younger man I joined the ship of state, I was in awe of its traditions and the great captains that it guided us on our way, but now as the seas through which we sail become ever more challenging, the respect for the values and principles that have served us well seem to have been set aside for expedient, self-serving, short-term ends. 'That approach has not served our nation well. 'There are few in this place or anywhere that can claim the respect for politicians and politics is stronger today than it was 10 years ago. In short, the body public is failing the people of Australia. It is clear that we need to find a better way. '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. 'Politics at its best has always been the shared contribution of men and women of conscience who bring their skills to bare for the benefit of the nation. 'It is not in the interests of our nation to yield to the temptation of personality politics which shrink the debate to the opinion of a few, whilst compromising the good sense and values of the many. 'For many years, I have warned of the consequences of ignoring the clear signs. I have spoken of the need to restore faith in our political system and to put principle back into politics. 'I regret that too often these warnings have been ignored by those who perhaps needed to hear them most. It really is time for a better way. For a conservative way. 'The enduring beauty of the conservative tradition is it looks to the past, to all that is good and great, to inform the future. It is a rich paradox where the established equips up for the new. 'So today I begin something new, built on enduring values and principles that have served our nation so well for so long. 'It is a political movement of Australian Conservatives. A community of individual Australians who will share their unique gifts and talents to chart a better way for our nation. 'We will be united by the desire to create stronger families, to foster freedom of speech, to limit the size and scope and reach of government while seeking to rebuild confidence in civil society. 'We will give hope to those who despair at the current state of Australian politics and who demand a better way for themselves, for their children and for the nation. 'The journey ahead will not be for the feign of heart, but worth while ventures rarely are and every journey begins with a first step.'

The South Australian will sit on the crossbench as an independent, and will form a breakaway party called Australian Conservatives, Laurie Oakes told the Today Show.

Mr Bernardi appears to be getting bankrolled by mining magnate Gina Rinehart.

In the phone call, Mr Bernardi told Mr Turnbull the 2015 leadership coup against Tony Abbott was a key driving force behind his resignation from the party, Sydney Morning Herald reported.

He told the prime minister there were talks to challenge his leadership.

'There's talk about doing it again and I want no part of it,' Mr Bernardi told Mr Turnbull, colleagues told Fairfax.

Mr Abbott, backbencher and former prime minister, could be seen smiling at a Coalition joint partyroom meeting at Parliament House on Tuesday.

Mr Bernardi is expected to address the senate about 12.30pm on Tuesday.

Mr Oakes said the senator had timed his resignation 'to inflict maximum damage' on the prime minister, on the first day of the parliamentary year.

Mr Turnbull was tight lipped about the future of renegade senator Mr Bernardi as he arrived at the ecumenical service at St Christopher's cathedral in Canberra with his wife Lucy.

He refused to answer questions as he arrived for the service in suburban Canberra.

Inside, he read from Psalm 15: 'Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain.

'The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart.'

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and wife Chloe also attended the Tuesday gathering, which traditionally marks the start of the parliamentary year.

Peter Dutton - regarded as the leading conservative inside Mr Turnbull's cabinet - didn't hold back on criticising Mr Bernardi.

'I think people will be angry about any defection, angry about the betrayal of the Liberal Party values,' the immigration minister told ABC radio.

Mr Dutton said he didn't believe other coalition MPs would follow Mr Bernardi who is tipped to announce the formation of the Australian Conservatives party when he publicly reveals his future to the Senate later on Tuesday.

On Twitter, Defence Minister Christopher Pyne said the 'honourable course' was for Mr Bernardi to resign and recontest as an independent because he was elected as a Liberal.

'Those most hurt by Cory Bernardi are the hundreds of thousands of SA voters who voted Liberal in the Senate only to be let down by him,' Mr Pyne wrote on Twitter.

'The Liberal Party's values are not limited to conservatism. We are Liberals because we are open to new ideas; tolerant of difference; ... modern and forward looking; we believe in reward for effort and sharing Australia's good fortune with those in need.'

Liberal MP Craig Kelly wants Mr Bernardi to think again.

'You can do a lot more inside the Liberal party, working for, arguing those things that you believe in, than actually outside the tent,' he told the ABC.

Mr Bernardi's decision is set to dominate the first day of federal parliament for the year.

But cabinet minister Arthur Sinodinos denies it will be a distraction.

'Not if we and the press focus on what's important to our fellow Australians,' he said.

Fellow coalition MPs, who are usually not willing to talk politics on sacred grounds, were happy to give their two cents worth on Mr Bernardi at the service on Tuesday.

'He should be honourable and he should resign from the Senate and run as an independent,' Liberal backbencher Jane Prentice said.

'On principle I'd like to see Cory remain with us but if he's made that decision then I'm not going to begrudge him making that decision,' the minister told reporters.

Treasurer Scott Morrison was in a reflective mood as he went to pray for the year ahead, turning his mind to South Australian Liberal party members who supported Senator Bernardi at the 2016 election.

'They're the ones he made the promise to, to be a Liberal,' Mr Morrison said.

The traditional display of political unity across the aisle was short-lived, as Labor leader Bill Shorten sought to remind everyone that a government that could not govern itself could not govern the nation.

'It is long overdue for the government to focus on the jobs of other Australians,' he said as he left the service alongside his wife, Chloe.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce did not appear too fussed by the distraction.

'Everything is always interesting in this job, eh,' he said.

And his advice for Senator Bernardi?

Conservative Queensland government backbencher George Christensen said Mr Bernardi had never asked him to leave the Liberal National Party.

'At this point in time I'm very loyal to Barnaby Joyce - I sit within the National Party - it's a party I've been a member of for more than two decades,' he told ABC radio.

'I'm going to continue here for as long as the party - and I believe the National Party always will be - in tune with conservative values and in tune with regional electorates.'

Sean Edwards has more reason than most to be angry with his fellow South Australian.

'It would be a gross departure as to - certainly six months into a six-year term - what people would have expected,' said the former senator who lost his seat at the 2016 election.

Mr Edwards, who was number five on the SA Senate ticket behind Mr Bernardi running as number two, said he would be disappointed if he left.

'I would prefer to see Mr Bernardi stay within the Liberal party and do the work that all the members that preselected him in preference to members like myself (expect),' he said.

Changes to way senators are elected would make it harder for Liberal renegade Cory Bernardi to retain his Senate seat, one crossbencher warned.

Cory Bernardi has been told by one his of soon-to-be fellow crossbenchers he risks losing his Senate seat if he quits the Liberal Party to sit as an independent conservative.

Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjlem told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday he had a simple message for the renegade government senator: 'Don't do it.'

Changes to way senators are elected would make his South Australian seat much harder to retain, he warned.

But Mr Bernardi would make a good replacement on small-L liberal economic issues after Family First senator Bob Day quit parliament.

Government senator James Paterson said his thoughts were with Liberal voters in South Australia who would be feeling disappointed.

'I hope if Cory does go to the cross bench that ... he bears in mind he was elected on a Liberal Party platform,' he told reporters.

Support for the federal government is at its lowest point since Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull ousted Tony Abbott, Newspoll revealed on monday.

Labor leads 54 to 46 per cent on a two-party preferred basis, according to the poll published in The Australian newspaper.

The survey of more than 1700 people showed the Liberal party's primary vote slipped four points to 35 per cent over the holidays.</s>
• Right-wing Senator Cory Bernardi has told the Senate he is quitting the Liberal Party
• He is forming the Australian Conservatives Party
• He describes it as "a community of individual Australians who will share their unique gifts and talents to chart a better way for our nation"
• More to come

SENATOR Cory Bernardi has confirmed he resigned from the Liberal Party this morning.

Mr Bernardi said that after holding membership of the party spanning his adult life, it had been a "very difficult decision" for him.

"Perhaps the most difficult one of my political life," he said.

In a speech to the Senate on the first sitting day of the year, Mr Bernardi said he was 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."

"As the sea through which we sail become ever more challenging, the respect for the values and principles that have served us well seem to have been set aside for expedient, self-serving, short-term ends. That approach has not served our nation well."

Mr Bernardi said they were failing the people of Australia.

"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."

Liberal Senator George Brandis said that Mr Bernardi's resignation was not a very conservative thing to do and the Liberal Party was disappointed.

"Only seven months ago Senator Bernardi was elected by the people of South Australia to serve in the Senate as a Liberal senator," Mr Brandis said.

"There was no need for him to take this course because, as the former prime minister, Mr Howard, famously said, the Liberal Party is a broad church.

"It can accommodate people like Senator Bernardi and it can accommodate people of more moderate views."

After a membership spanning my entire adult life, having been a State President and a Federal Vice President, this has been a very difficult decision for me - perhaps the most difficult of my life.

 

 I stand here today both reluctant and relieved; reluctant because this decision has weighed heavy on my heart but relieved because, whilst difficult, it is the right thing to do.

 

 When, as a younger man I first joined the 'ship of state' I was in awe of its traditions and the great captains that had guided us on our way.

But now, as the seas through which we sail have become more challenging, the respect for the values and principles that have served us well have been set aside for expedient, self-serving, short term ends. This approach has not served our nation well.

In short, the body politic is failing the people of Australia and it's clear we need to find a better way.

 

 The level of public disenchantment with the major parties, lack of confidence in our political process and concern about the direction of our nation is very strong.

This is a direct product of the political class being out of touch with the hopes and aspirations of the Australian people.

Politics at its best has always been the shared contribution of men and women of conscience who bring their skills to bear for the nation.

It is not in the interests of our nation to yield to the temptation of personality politics which shrink the debate to the opinion of the few whilst compromising the good sense and values of the many.

For many years I have warned of the consequences of ignoring the clear signs. I have spoken of the need to restore faith in our political system and to put principle back into politics.

The enduring beauty of the conservative tradition is that it looks to the past, to all that is great and good, to inform the future. It is a rich paradox where the established equips us for the new.

We will be united by a desire to create stronger families, foster free enterprise, limit the size and scope and reach of government whilst seeking to rebuild civil society.

We will give hope to those who despair at the current state of Australian politics and who demand a better way for themselves, their children and their country.

 

 The journey ahead will not be for the faint of heart but worthwhile ventures rarely are.

 

 And every journey begins with a first step.

 

 Today I take that step, knowing the direction in which I will head and hoping that those truly concerned for the future of our nation will choose to join me.

 

 Mr President, in light of this statement you may like to consider the Senate seating arrangements.

 

 I thank the Senate.

CORY Bernardi did not attended the Liberal-National's joint party room meeting before Parliament begins today.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull reportedly addressed the party room on Senator Bernardi's defection before media were allowed into the room.

The Prime Minister reportedly told the room he had asked Bernardi on their phone call this morning how he justified remaining in the senate after he was elected as a Liberal just six months ago.

Mr Turnbull then addressed the room on the fight facing the party in the year to come, outlining child care, jobs, energy policy and border control as key battlegrounds.

"The values of our parties, the Liberal and the National Parties, is grounding, focused on defending the interests of hardworking Australian families and the businesses which employ them, which provide them with the opportunities to get ahead.

"We are delivering more investment, more jobs, more opportunities.

"And we do so building those opportunities on a foundation of security."

Mr Turnbull rallied the troops saying it was great to be back but they had "a lot of work to do".

Neither Senator Bernardi or former Prime Minister Tony Abbott attended a church service which marked the beginning of Parliament in Canberra this morning.

Bernardi's decision to quit has angered Turnbull Government MPs who have issued a warning to him saying there will be retribution if he chooses to split from the Liberal party today.

Senator Bernardi will announce his departure in a statement to the senate at 12.30pm when Parliament resumes. It is believed, however, that the senator has already spoken with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull this morning to confirm his decision to quit.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said it would be a betrayal of his voters, while Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dwyer said the public had no tolerance for parliamentarians "who are engaged in ego trips".

Both frontbenchers moved to downplay the affect Senator Bernardi's departure would have on the Government, saying his split was still just speculation.

The South Australian senator has still yet to confirm or deny the reports.

"I think that people would feel that their trust has been violated if somebody stood for a particular political party and then left that political party, particularly so soon after an election campaign," Ms O'Dwyer told ABC this morning.

"I feel that most people would understand [that if] you had strong views and didn't want to represent a political party, maybe you should represent that prior to the election campaign," she said.

"I think anybody who is elected as a Liberal owes a responsibility, not only to the people who preselected them, but also to the people who voted for them, who placed their trust in them to be a member of that particular political party."

"I think that the Australian people have got no tolerance for parliamentarians who are engaged in ego trips."

Ms O'Dwyer said she had yet to speak to Senator Bernardi and would not comment on speculation he was leaving.

The Immigration Minister said people who voted for Cory Bernardi under the Liberal Banner would be angry and disappointed if he left.

"Let's wait to see what Senator Bernardi has to say but it is a betrayal when somebody leaves a political party," Mr Dutton told ABC.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said he was "disappointed" by Senator Bernardi's decision to split from the party.

"Cory and I have been friends and colleagues for more than 10 years, my preference obviously would be for Cory to remain," Senator Cormann told ABC.

"Hopefully he will change his mind in the near future."

As Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Cormann will be required to negotiate with Senator Bernardi as a crossbencher if he breaks away.

But Senator Cormann said recent events were more a concern for the Opposition than the Government.

"If I was Bill Shorten today I would be very worried," he said.

"Despite everything that's going on, there's not been an increase in the Labor Party vote at all."

Liberal Nationals MP George Christensen warned his Coalition colleagues not to be too harsh in their criticism of Bernardi.

"If indeed he's leaving this is someone we're going to have to negotiate with," the Queensland MP told ABC.

 Mr Christensen has confirmed he will be staying with the Nationals.

While he admitted Senator Bernardi had confided his dissatisfaction with the Liberal Party, Mr Christensen said he had not been asked to go with him.

Opposition deputy leader Tanya Plibersek said Senator Bernardi's defection showed the Turnbull Government was "hopelessly weak" and divided.

"You know there's something going wrong when even Cory Bernardi is leaving the sinking ship," Ms Plibersek told reporters in Canberra.

"I mean this Prime Minister has capitulated on every single one of Senator Bernardi's demands, on climate change, on same-sex marriage, on a whole range of issues.

"Cory Bernardi has already got exactly what he wants from this Prime Minister and yet even Cory Bernardi realises that this is a Government so hopelessly weak, divided and incompetent, that it cannot govern."

Independent Derryn Hinch said he didn't expect Senator Bernardi's move to the crossbench to affect many votes.

Someone "to the right of Genghis Khan" was unlikely to vote with Labor and the Greens, he said.</s>Cory Bernardi: Where does the Senator stand on key issues?

Cory Bernardi's inflammatory remarks on gay rights, Islam and climate change have made him one of the most recognisable faces on the Government's backbench.

The 47-year-old says he is on a mission to "restore common sense ... and traditional values", but that has put him at odds with his colleagues in the Liberal Party and at outright war with the left.

Senator Bernardi was elected to the Senate in 2006 on the South Australian ticket, backed by right-wing power broker Nick Minchin.

In his maiden speech, he pledged to be guided by God, spoke about "the sanctity of human life" and marriage, and thanked his mother for staying at home to raise him.

Eight years earlier, Mr Minchin had manoeuvred him into the presidency of the Liberal Party in South Australia.

Senator Bernardi never won over his more moderate colleagues and his public feud with fellow South Australian Liberal Christopher Pyne has been public and toxic.

Senator Bernardi's three months in the US during Donald Trump's run for the Presidency buoyed his confidence in Australia's conservative movement.

Donning a "Make Australia Great Again" hat, the senator warned his party not to ignore the lessons of Mr Trump's victory.

"Unfortunately there are too few in our body politic willing to take the path less travelled — a trustworthy track that has fallen out of use," he wrote in a newsletter earlier this month.

Last year, he set up the Australian Conservatives, modelled on the grassroots tactics of the US Tea Party, and he says his supporters now number more than 60,000.

Australian Conservatives is not a registered political party and a related fundraising group set up by the senator in 2009, the Conservative Leadership Foundation, does not purport to directly fund Australian politics.

It has never made any declarations to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) about the source of its money or its expenditure, meaning it operates in a grey area of the political donations system.

He has previously threatened to quit the Liberal Party and in his most recent newsletter foreshadowed his move.

When Senator Bernardi questioned whether gay marriage would lead to bestiality in 2012, the backlash was fierce and swift.

"There are even some creepy people out there ... (who) say it is OK to have consensual sexual relations between humans and animals," he said during a debate on same-sex marriage.

Then opposition leader Tony Abbott said he did not share Senator Bernardi's view and accepted his resignation as parliamentary secretary.

At the time, Malcolm Turnbull described the views as "extreme."

"They are hysterical, they're not the views of the mainstream Australian society — let alone of the Liberal Party," Mr Turnbull said.

Senator Bernardi has described Islam as a "totalitarian, political and religious ideology," but says he's not racist because his issue is with the religion, not Muslims.

He has been rebuked by the Liberal leadership for meeting with Dutch anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders, and has attended rallies and events with Reclaim Australia and Q Society.

Both groups oppose Islam, and describe the Halal certification of food as a tax that benefits terrorism.

Senator Bernardi has been a strong backer of a ban on the burka, describing it as a "flag of fundamentalism" and a "shroud of oppression."

He was born to an Italian immigrant, but has strong views on others who cross the sea to make Australia home.

He has described asylum seekers as "welfare squatters" and during the outpouring of emotion over the drowning death of toddler Aylan Kurdi, he said the boy's father was to blame.

The comments earned him a sharp rebuke from Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

He was also told off over his criticism of the Government's decision to fly survivors of the Christmas Island refugee boat disaster to Sydney for their families' funerals.

In his maiden speech, Senator Bernardi set his agenda as one of the Liberal Party's key defenders of conservative values.

He spoke about the "sanctity of human life" and marriage, and the role of his mother in the family home.

In a book titled The Conservative Revolution, Senator Bernardi described abortion as an "abhorrent form of birth control" and anyone who supports it as "pro-death".

"Given the increasing number of non-traditional families, there is a temptation to equate all family structures as being equal or relative," he writes.</s>Canberra, Feb 6 (IANS) Australian Senator Cory Bernardi is set to resign from the government and form a breakaway far-right political party, a media report said on Monday.

Bernardi, who has long been critical of the centre-right policies pursued by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, was expected to resign by Tuesday ahead of Parliament’s session, Xinhua news agency reported.

The conservative and often outspoken senator indicated his desire to breakaway from the coalition in July 2016 when he founded the Australian Conservatives website that was created to “unite the Liberal Party”.

“Every comment I’ve ever seen Cory make,… has been about the importance of Liberals, Nationals, conservatives – all those in the right of centre – working together…,” Education Minister Simon Birmingham told ABC.

“I’m confident that Cory will stand by his words.”

Although, Bernardi refused to comment on the report, but it was revealed that he set up a second website called Australian Majority, with a political logo resembling US Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz’s logo.

The move could be disastrous for the government, which holds just a one seat majority in the House of Representatives. An extra crossbench senator could take even more power away from the government.

Crisis for the Turnbull-led coalition government further compounded on Monday when a latest poll revealed support for it had fallen to its lowest point since predecessor Tony Abbott left office.</s>Cory Bernardi has called Malcolm Turnbull to confirm he will defect from the Liberal Party to form a breakaway conservative party.

The controversial South Australian Senator has called the prime minister on Tuesday morning to state his intention to resign from the party.

Mr Bernardi will sit on the crossbench as a conservative independent.

Political commentator Laurie Oakes told the Today Show Mr Bernardi will form a new splinter party called Australian Conservatives.

Mr Bernardi appears to be getting bankrolled by mining magnate Gina Rinehart.

Mr Oakes said the senator had timed his resignation 'to inflict maximum damage' on the prime minister, on the first day of the parliamentary year.

Federal MPs have gathered at the traditional ecumenical church service to mark the start of parliament ahead of Cory Bernardi's expected defection.

Mr Turnbull was tight lipped about the future of renegade Liberal senator Cory Bernardi as he arrived with wife Lucy for an ecumenical service in a neighbouring suburb to Parliament House.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and wife Chloe also attended the Tuesday gathering, which traditionally marks the start of the parliamentary year.

Mr Turnbull refused to answer questions as he arrived for the service in suburban Canberra.

But Peter Dutton - regarded as the leading conservative inside Mr Turnbull's cabinet - didn't hold back.

'I think people will be angry about any defection, angry about the betrayal of the Liberal Party values,' the immigration minister told ABC radio.

Mr Dutton said he didn't believe other coalition MPs would follow Senator Bernardi who is tipped to announce the formation of the Australian Conservatives party when he publicly reveals his future to the Senate later on Tuesday.

Liberal MP Craig Kelly wants Senator Bernardi to think again.

'You can do a lot more inside the Liberal party, working for, arguing those things that you believe in, than actually outside the tent,' he told the ABC.

Senator Bernardi's decision is set to dominate the first day of federal parliament for the year.

But cabinet minister Arthur Sinodinos denies it will be a distraction.

'Not if we and the press focus on what's important to our fellow Australians,' he said.

Conservative Queensland government backbencher George Christensen said Senator Bernardi had never asked him to leave the Liberal National Party.

'At this point in time I'm very loyal to Barnaby Joyce - I sit within the National Party - it's a party I've been a member of for more than two decades,' he told ABC radio.

'I'm going to continue here for as long as the party - and I believe the National Party always will be - in tune with conservative values and in tune with regional electorates.'

Sean Edwards has more reason than most to be angry with his fellow South Australian.

'It would be a gross departure as to - certainly six months into a six-year term - what people would have expected,' said the former senator who lost his seat at the 2016 election.

Mr Edwards, who was number five on the SA Senate ticket behind Senator Bernardi running as number two, said he would be disappointed if he left.

'I would prefer to see Senator Bernardi stay within the Liberal party and do the work that all the members that preselected him in preference to members like myself (expect),' he said.

Changes to way senators are elected would make it harder for Liberal renegade Cory Bernardi to retain his Senate seat, one crossbencher warned.

Cory Bernardi has been told by one his of soon-to-be fellow crossbenchers he risks losing his Senate seat if he quits the Liberal Party to sit as an independent conservative.

Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjlem told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday he had a simple message for the renegade government senator: 'Don't do it.'

Changes to way senators are elected would make his South Australian seat much harder to retain, he warned.

But Senator Bernardi would make a good replacement on small-L liberal economic issues after Family First senator Bob Day quit parliament.

Government senator James Paterson said his thoughts were with Liberal voters in South Australia who would be feeling disappointed.

'I hope if Cory does go to the cross bench that ... he bears in mind he was elected on a Liberal Party platform,' he told reporters.</s>ROGUE senator Cory Bernardi this morning rang PM Malcolm Turnbull to confirm he is defecting from the Liberals to form his own conservative party.

Sources within the Liberals confirmed Bernardi informed the PM of his decision despite sitting and former government MPs making an 11th hour appeal to the senator to stay.

Rogue Senator Cory Bernardi has been accused of being disloyal over plans to break away from the Liberals.

 Senior government figures accused Bernardi last night of disloyalty as the right-wing senator prepared to defect.



Assistant Minister to the Treasurer Michael Sukkar, a senior member of the party's Right faction and a friend of Mr Bernardi, said any defection would be "unscrupulous and disloyal".

"Cory was elected six months ago on the Liberal party ticket for the six-year term in Parliament," he said.

"I don't believe Cory could now be so unscrupulous and disloyal as to leave the party that has provided him with his seat in the Senate."

Treasurer Scott Morrison also pointed out that Liberal Party members had worked hard to help Mr Bernardi's election to the Senate.

"When he stood at the election Liberal Party voters voted to have a Liberal party senator in the Senate."

Havoc for Turnbull as Bernardi set to quit Liberal Party

OUTSPOKEN South Australian senator Cory Bernardi will on Tuesday quit the Liberal Party in a move that threatens to further divide the Turnbull Government.

The Advertiser understands that SA's electricity crisis is one of the issues that led to Senator Bernardi's decision to quit, which is expected to be announced in a statement to the Senate this morning.

It is believed he will start a new party, Australian Conservatives, in a move which will boost the crossbench numbers to 12.

Speculation of Senator Bernardi's impending resignation, revealed in The Advertiser by political commentator

Andrew Bolt, has further compounded Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's political woes as he begins the parliamentary year trailing badly in the polls.

Senior Turnbull Government sources said Senator Bernardi, who was re-elected to the Senate last year for a six-year term, had not informed Mr Turnbull or cabinet ministers of his pending decisions, however most of his colleagues believed his departure was certain.

At last year's federal election, Senator Bernardi was second on the Liberal ticket behind Senator Birmingham. The Liberal ticket attracted 329,516 first-preference votes, Senator Bernardi received 2043 votes.

It is understood Senator Bernardi's new party will focus on resisting a push towards from expensive renewable energy options and take a tougher stances on immigration - especially from predominantly Muslim nations.

Energy is set to be one of the hot topics of the year in the wake of SA's statewide blackout last year and ongoing and fierce debate about the role of coal and renewables.

It is understood that Senator Bernardi's close friend Gina Rinehart, who recently expanded her business empire to include the South Australia's S Kidman & Co cattle company, will offer financial backing.

But fellow conservatives and critics of the Prime Minister Eric Abetz, George Christensen and Tony Abbott have ruled out following their colleague.

While Senator Bernardi has mostly hit headlines for controversial topics - such as wanting to ban Islamic face coverings and comparing the move to legalise same-sex marriage to legalising bestiality - he is also outspoken about other core conservative issues.

He is likely to continue to emphasise family values, a free market, limited government intervention and focus on social issues including gay marriage.

On Monday the Senator's office window contained only the Australian Conservatives logo and a "manifesto" for

"Our Australia" as "a nation bound by virtues and sustained by faith". It talks about the importance of freedom and a moral foundation.

Education Minister and SA Senator Simon Birmingham earlier said he was "confident" Senator Bernardi would stand by earlier statements of solidarity.

Another famous SA Liberal defector, Martin Hamilton-Smith - whom Senator Bernardi blasted after he left to take up a Labor ministry - said the Liberals were "looking increasingly like the Greens".

Recently, Senator Bernardi called on the Government to pull out of the Paris climate change agreement, and called consideration of an emissions intensity scheme "one of the dumbest things" he has heard.

In December, he wrote about the "disconnect that is fuelling the crisis of confidence in the major political parties".

At the core of that was the "alarmism" of climate change, he wrote:

"In fact, if I were a struggling state or federal political leader, here's an election-winning platform: I want to make (South) Australian electricity prices the most competitive in the nation/world. To do that, we are going to remove bureaucratic impediments to the construction and operation of new power stations and remove subsidies for uneconomic schemes."

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.

Labor leader Bill Shorten said the Turnbull Government was hopelessly divided and had lost focus on the issues that matter.

"Whether or not Cory Bernardi stays or goes, whether or not Malcolm goes ... that isn't going to help people pay for their first house," Mr Shorten. It doesn't help people find a job or keep a job."

His web was already spun

OFFICIALLY, it was supposed to be a conservative version of the left-wing political activist group GetUp!

But observers suspected Cory Bernardi was unofficially using the Australian Conservatives group to lay the foundations for his own political party by creating a network of potential supporters and donors.

The Australian Conservatives burst on to the political scene after the federal election with a basic website. Tens of thousands of people reportedly signed up to receive the group's regular emails.

Founder Senator Bernardi said conservative-minded members of all political parties were welcome to join. The group would pursue issues such as free speech and reforming section 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act.

He believed the group was a counter to GetUp!, which backs progressive causes and uses its army of volunteers to campaign against the Liberals at election time.

The Australian Conservatives is an offshoot of the Bernardi-founded Conservative Leadership Foundation, which operates from offices in Kent Town.

Late last year, "The Australian Majority" became the newest addition to Senator Bernardi's organisations.

Like GetUp!, the Bernardi groups are not obliged to publicly reveal their sources of income or donors. Senator

Bernardi can turn to Australian Conservatives and Conservative Leadership Foundation supporters for financial support for his new venture.</s>CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — An Australian senator and outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump says he will start a new political party to appeal to disenfranchised conservatives.

Cory Bernardi said Tuesday he would abandon Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s conservative Liberal Party as the ruling coalition trails further behind the center-left Labor Party in opinion polls seven months after elections.

Bernardi told the Senate he had resigned to start a new party called Australian Conservatives.

Bernardi’s move came on the first day Parliament has met since Trump’s inauguration.

The 47-year-old recently spent three months in New York seconded to the United Nations and met Trump associates. He a red baseball hat with a Trump-like slogan: “Make Australia Great Again.”</s>Cory Bernardi urged not to quit Liberal Party, remember 'obligation' to support Coalition

South Australian senator Cory Bernardi is set to quit the Federal Government today, despite last-minute, public pleas from his colleagues to reconsider.

Senator Bernardi is expected to announce he is quitting the Liberals to set up his own political party, the Australian Conservatives, just seven months into a new six-year Senate term.

"I'd encourage Cory to have maybe one last think," Liberal MP Craig Kelly told the ABC last night.

"You can do a lot more inside the Liberal party, working for, arguing those things that you believe in, than actually outside the tent."

Yesterday several senior ministers reminded Senator Bernardi he was elected as a Liberal Party member and he should honour that commitment.

"I hope that each and every person who committed to the Liberal Party, and through that committed to the voters, honours that pledge," Health Minister Greg Hunt told 7:30.

"The point that Cory needs to reflect on is he is in the Parliament by virtue of the endorsement of the South Australian Liberal Party," the Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg told Q&A.

"He's always been treated courteously within the Liberal Party and our party resembles that broad church of views."

But their pleas have come with a warning that if Senator Bernardi quits the Government, he would still be obliged to vote for its policies.

The Federal Opposition has seized on the division as Parliament prepares to open for the year.

"Let's understand what Cory Bernardi's apparent decision demonstrates — it demonstrates a Government coming apart at the seams," Labor's Senate leader Penny Wong told Lateline.

"It demonstrates a Government that is riven with internal division, it demonstrates a Government frankly which is much more focused on itself, than on the issues that matter to most Australians."

Mr Frydenberg rejected that the Government was divided.

"We're very unified and we know what the job is ahead of us," he said.

Senator Bernardi was elected at last July's federal election as the number two on the Liberal's South Australian ticket.

Number five on that ticket was Senator Sean Edwards, who lost his seat in Parliament.

"Well, as a former sitting member I would be very disappointed if Senator Bernardi was to abdicate and leave the party because we've experienced that in South Australia with a former leader in Martin Hamilton Smith where they've been elected on one platform and then left it," he's told the ABC's AM program.

"I think it would be a gross departure as to, certainly six months into a six-year term, what people would have expected."

The former senator said Cory Bernardi represented a small, but vocal constituency, in what Mr Edwards has labelled "strange political times".

"I would prefer to see Senator Bernardi stay within the Liberal Party and do the work that all the members that preselected him in preference to members like myself [expect].

"To continue to work hard for the economic revival of South Australia, try to start to solve some of the energy issues that we have here, and the joblessness."

Privately some sitting MPs have questioned just what Senator Bernardi has done recently to argue the Coalition's case on key issues such as the economy and energy security.

"He'll have to point to his own track record with regard to what he's achieved in terms of economic success for South Australia and the work that he continues to do," Mr Edwards said.
Incumbent Australian Senator Cory Bernardi defects from the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia to establish his own minor party, the Australian Conservatives.