Cory Bernardi bids goodbye to Coalition to form own political party
Liberal Party senator Cory Bernardi is set to stand in the Upper House to announce a significant move. He has supposedly decided to part ways with the Coalition and will instead spend his time forming a political party. His party will be called Australian Conservatives.
It is believed that Bernardi has came up with his decision in the past days after arriving at the conclusion that the Liberal Party has no plan to oppose the rise of big government. According to Stuff, he thinks supporters of the Liberal Party have lost faith in the party because the Coalition is willing to embrace policies that require big budget and advocate higher taxes.
Bernardi is publicly known as a social conservative and economic liberal. He is after small government, lower taxes and free trade. The South Australian has been reportedly telling people close to him that he has been waiting for the resumption of parliament for 2017 to lay out his intentions. Bernardi is expected to confirm his position on Tuesday when the new parliamentary year resumes.
The senator had previously dropped signs that he may start a new party for disenchanted conservative voters. Last year, he called for voters to back his Australian Conservatives movement and stressed on the need for a "broad conservative movement to help change politics."
Bernardi, through his latest newsletter, has foreshadowed a "testing year" for the Turnbull government. "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 said. The ABC notes that Bernardi thinks of himself a "lone wolf" in the Liberal Party.
The senator expressed support for US President Donald Trump while he was in New York last year. He believes that "politics in Australia needs to change." "My time in the USA has made me realise I have to be a part of that change, perhaps even in some way a catalyst for it," he said.
His possible defection will be the first from the Coalition since 2006 when then senator Julian McGauran transferred from the Nationals to the Liberals. Bernardi was elected to the Senate in 2006 on the South Australian ticket.
In his maiden speech, he hoped to be guided by God and discussed about the "the sanctity of human life" and marriage. He has expressed gratitude to his mother for staying at home to take care of him.
