The chief Nationals whip, George Christensen, has issued a threat to leave the Coalition “tent” if the Turnbull government is not more loyal to its voters, amid growing concern the Liberal senator Cory Bernardi is preparing to split as well.
The former prime minister, Tony Abbott, has weighed in to the controversy, calling for a “strong and united” Liberal party but warning it must not take its base for granted.
Concerns from conservative MPs that the Coalition is not doing enough to represent their constituencies’ concerns have grown since moderate Liberal Malcolm Turnbull narrowly won the July election and the nationalist One Nation party won four Senate seats and continued to build support in polls.
In July Bernardi formed a grassroots Australian Conservatives movement purportedly to “make the Liberal party stronger” but his Coalition colleagues are increasingly concerned he intends to form his own party.
Returning from New York buoyed by the election of Donald Trump, Bernardi said in late November he realised “I have to be a part of that change, perhaps even in some way a catalyst for it”.
The Australian Conservatives website trumpets that 60,000 Australians have signed up for its mailing list “despite the fact we have been operating with modest staff numbers and a bare bones website up to this point”.
It says “this is all set to change in 2017” and promises the movement is set for a “massive 2017”.
On Thursday, in a Facebook post, Christensen noted survey data that satisfaction in democracy is at an all-time low in Australia and expressed hope 2017 would “herald a new way of doing things for the Turnbull government and for politics in general”.
“A lot of people have told me to pull the pin on the government and go with another entity,” he wrote. “However, I am loyal to Barnaby Joyce, loyal to the Nationals and, most of all, loyal to local Liberal National party members who selected me to be their candidate.”
But Christensen then warned the Turnbull government needed to “start being more loyal to the voters and the party members who sent us here or there will come a time when remaining inside the tent is no longer tenable to my conscience or my voters”.
Christensen has been an influential conservative figure in the government, lobbying successfully for changes to the Safe Schools anti-bullying program, the backpacker tax and superannuation reforms.
Before the July election Christensen threatened to leave the LNP because of the government’s planned 32.5% backpacker tax but was satisfied with the compromise of 15% struck in December.
In a series of tweets Abbott said Bernardi had been right in July 2016 when he ruled out leaving the Liberal party, that “it’s best for the Australian people to have a strong, cohesive and sound Liberal Party”.
@corybernardi was right in July 2016: it's best for the Australian people to have a strong, cohesive and sound Liberal Party.
— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) December 21, 2016
But Abbott warned to stay strong and united “the Liberal party cannot take the base for granted and must convincingly argue for its values and principles”.
To be strong & united, the Liberal Party cannot take the base for granted & must convincingly argue for its values & principles.
— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) December 21, 2016
Guardian Australia has contacted Bernardi for comment.
