After just over two years, the Australian Conservatives party deregisters, citing a disappointing lack of support.
The party’s founder, hardline conservative Cory Bernardi, admits that Scott Morrison’s Christian credentials made it difficult to justify the existence of a separate conservative party, as the Coalition was now in many ways representing the values of what had been the Australian Conservatives party.
The death of the Australian Conservatives also marks the end of the party in the Victorian Parliament. The party’s deregistration is a blow to the anti-sex work movement, which had successfully delivered one of their own into the Victorian Upper House under the Australian Conservatives brand.
The demise of the Australian Conservatives is another development helping to further position Victoria on the path to sex work decriminalisation.