Family First Party - Defections From Other Parties

Defections From Other Parties

The party has benefited from a series of high-profile defections.

• Former South Australian state Liberal minister Robert Brokenshire contested the 2007 federal election for the party, and subsequently won preselection to replace retiring founder Evans in the state Legislative Council. At the 2010 South Australian Election, Robert Brokenshire was successfully re-elected as a Family First candidate for a Legislative Council seat.
• In June 2008, former Western Australian deputy Liberal leader Dan Sullivan announced that he would become the parliamentary leader of a new state branch of the party, WA Family First. Three former One Nation MPs have expressed support for the new party. On 14 August 2008, independent (former Liberal) Western Australian MP Anthony Fels joined the Party. At the Western Australian state election, 2008 both Sullivan and Fels stood for seats in the Western Australian Legislative Council, but neither was successful. Fels remained a member of the Legislative Council until his term expired in May 2009.
• Also in June 2008, Bob Randall, a former South Australian Liberal MP and party president joined the party, complaining that the Liberal Party had drifted too far to the "left", and that "Family First is the only truly conservative political force now left in Australia".
• On 3 August 2008 Bob Day, a prominent Coalition fundraiser and Liberal candidate for Makin in the 2007 federal election announced that he was joining Family First. He contested the Mayo by-election, 2008 for the party, gaining 11.4% of the primary vote, but was not elected.
• In New South Wales, former Christian Democratic Party MLC Gordon Moyes became an independent in 2009 for a few months before joining Family First. He was defeated at the 2011 state election.