NFF on “mission” to talk with Liberal defector Bernardi

Senator Bernardi was elected for the Liberal Party in South Australia at last year’s federal election in a safe position on the party’s ticket.

But he’s caused a major controversy in Canberra during the first sitting week of 2017 - and drawn heavy accusations of government disunity by the Opposition - after announcing today he’d officially quit the Liberals to establish his own political party, the Australian Conservatives.

He adds to an expanded list of crossbenchers holding a critical power-base and vote to pass legislation in the Upper House.

The 76-member Senate now comprises 29 Coalition votes, 26 for Labor, nine for the Greens and 12 independent and minor party members.

However, two of the crossbench positions are currently vacant and set to be replaced, due to the disqualification of former WA grain farmer and One Nation Senator Rod Culleton last week by the High Court and resignation of Family First SA Senator Bob Day last year.

While the 47 year-old Senator Bernardi’s views about climate change and opposition to carbon trading schemes have been well ventilated, the NFF admits they know little else about the latest crossbencher’s farm policy views.

As his defection stole headlines and added weight to negative perceptions about the declining state of politics locally and globally, Ms Simson said, “Add him to our list”.

She admitted she currently knew very little of Senator Bernardi’s positions on agriculture policy or in general, “other than that he’s a staunch conservative, supports small government, lower taxes and has more conservative views generally”.

“I would say possibly some of those views would resonate with some of the agricultural community, if they know him and find out a little bit more about him, which I imagine they’ll start to do now,” she said.

“When I said in jest ‘add him to the list’, that’s actually what we will do.

“We will make it a mission to talk to him; just as we do with all of the other crossbenchers.

“We believe in agriculture and we believe in the importance of agriculture in the community and the importance of making sure that everybody understands that.

“We look forward to making sure that we can first of all understand (Senator Bernardi) and what he’s about and that he understands us.

“We are the farmers’ voice and we represent grass roots farmers through our organisation.”

NFF CEO Tony Mahar said it was an “interesting time” for politics in Canberra.

But despite the fractured start to the year by the Coalition, he said the NFF would, “always advocate for good policies for agriculture”.

“I think there’s a broad awareness across Parliament House and the parliament of how important agriculture is,” he said.

“Our task and our objective will be to make sure that all of the political parties, however minor, understand and recognise the importance that agriculture plays and rural and regional communities play, in the economy.”

Ms Simson said federal politics was a “fluid environment”, at the moment.

“We have to do our best to try and make sure that everybody understands where we’re coming from,” she said of the NFF’s lobbying efforts for farmers.

“We have to bring reason to policy and that’s something the NFF has always done and continues to do.

“We want to make sure that we have evidenced based policy wherever we can and we work really hard to make sure that we bring a sensible and rationale position to the table.”

Senator Bernardi says his new party aims to provide hope to “those who despair at the current state of Australian politics”.

Senior Coalition MP Greg Hunt said he disappointed in Senator Bernardi’s decision, particularly as he wasn’t just elected as a Liberal and went to the voters as a Liberal but “was elected on the basis of the platform which still stands today”.

“There have been no major or significant changes - the platform for the Liberal Party, which was in place at that time, is the platform of today,” he said.

“My view and my belief is very deep and that is the Liberal Party is the greatest force for improving lives within the Australian parliamentary scene.”