It was a conversation with former prime minister Tony Abbott that sealed the deal.
Liberal senator Cory Bernardi had been fending off months of speculation that he was about to defect and spearhead his own conservative movement.

There's speculation outspoken conservative Senator Cory Bernardi will form his own political party.
After watching closely the backlash against the political establishment in Britain and the United States, and the stunning record-high number of voters willing to vote for anyone but the two major parties in Australia, he knew something had to give.
Still despairing over the Liberal Party's decision to copy another Labor policy and kill off a sitting prime minister in its first term and the role it played in the Coalition's near-death election experience, Bernardi confided his worries to Abbott.

Rats like Cory Bernardi will merely help to sink the ship
Cory Bernardi to rock first day of Parliament by resigning from the Turnbull government
The two canvassed a range of options, including the much-speculated defection. Bernardi was dismayed when several days later details he had only confided to Abbott turned up in The Australian newspaper. In subsequent articles Abbott himself would be quoted urging against any split. Mr Abbott told Fairfax Media on Monday he has "never" leaked to The Australian. 
Feeling betrayed by a man whom he had loyally supported, Bernardi added it to the list of other ailments he felt had infected Australian politics.

Mr Harbourside Mansion-onomics is dead and buried:

The sniper strikes again

Rats like Cory Bernardi will merely help to sink the ship


Two funny things.

labor would be doing better with Tony Abbot instead of that idiot Shorten

If Bernardi starts another party there is a good chance he will pinch a lot of Labor voters

miketrees wrote on Feb 6^th, 2017 at 5:53pm:

lol, like crap

Is Cory a bit like the Lefties here, naive and gullible and really does not have a clue ?

But despite the local Lefties praying Cory has not left yet and probably won't or will go to 1 Nation.




Cory Bernardi will be shocked by crossbench workload, Xenophon says
The World Today By Julia Holman Updated about 4 hours ago


PHOTO: Cory Bernardi is set to announce he is leaving the Coalition to form his own political party. (AAP: Sam Mooy)

RELATED STORY: Bernardi to split with Coalition, form Australian Conservatives
RELATED STORY: Bernardi's departure is a fracturing of the status quo
RELATED STORY: From gay marriage to Islam: Where Bernardi stands

South Australian senator Nick Xenophon says Cory Bernardi is in for a shock if he leaves the Liberal Party to sit on the crossbench.



Senator Xenophon says if Senator Bernardi makes the move, it will be a serious disruption for Malcolm Turnbull's Government.

Where Bernardi stands



The outspoken conservative senator has controversial views on issues like gay marriage, Islam and immigration. See where he stands here.
"It will change the dynamics of the Senate, it will be a huge headache for the Government, it will be huge electoral fodder for the Opposition, and it will be very much a new ballgame in Australian politics," he said.
"He's still in the Senate for another five-and-a-half years, so he can be here for quite a while and probably cause a lot of headaches for the Government and give a lot of fodder to the Opposition."

Game-changer if Bernardi can spark Lower House rebellion

Senator Xenophon believes Senator Bernardi's move will have more impact if he's able to convince Coalition colleagues in the House of Representatives to join his team.

The Government currently only has 76 seats in the 150-seat Lower House of Parliament.


PHOTO: Nick Xenophon says Cory Bernardi's potential defection could make things interesting if it attracts lower-house rebellion. (AAP: Mick Tsikas)

"It will be obviously manifestly more significant in a very tight Lower House if the Government loses a couple of its own to this new political party if it's set up, then that itself could well mean that we're headed to the polls much sooner than we thought," Senator Xenophon said.

He also said he was still not entirely convinced the Bernardi breakaway would happen.

"At this stage I'll believe it when I see it," he said.

"I wonder whether we're being subjected to a great, big tease by Senator Bernardi, but let's wait and see."

He said he was willing to work with Senator Bernardi if he came to the crossbench.

"I know him quite well because we've been Senate colleagues for a number of years, and at a personal level, despite the differences we have on policy issues, he can be very decent to get along with," he said.

"But I fundamentally disagree with what he has said about Islam and a whole range of issues, and I also think that his views on markets are much more free market than mine.

"Obviously where there's common ground I'll build on that, and obviously we'll have disagreements. But at this stage, until it happens, I think it's all very hypothetical."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-06/cory-bernardi-will-be-shocked-by-crossbenc...

Bobby. wrote on Feb 6^th, 2017 at 6:10pm:


I would encourage him to try to put on that 'Trump' mantle, in Australian politics.

And i hope that he succeeds.