Alex Ellinghausen/Fairfax Senator Cory Bernardi's party, the Australian Conservatives, will get the people, resources and infrastructure of Family First.

But in a likely invitation to fellow conservative politicians George Christensen and Eric Abetz, the Liberal defector wants to more mergers and is encouraging other like-minded politicians to jump ship.

CANBERRA -- Cory Bernardi's nascent Australian Conservatives party is taking over Family First to strengthen its position and fill out its membership ranks, but the new grouping is already been dismissed as being unlikely to "trouble the scoreboard" and won't change the current make up of the Senate.

. @corybernardi says he welcomes more amalgamations between @AuConservatives and other minor parties. More: https://t.co/DYQRlxYrR0 pic.twitter.com/uj6Iw2pqtZ

"I hope it is not the last amalgamation," Bernardi told reporters in Adelaide.

"I welcome minor parties, I welcome former colleagues, existing colleagues who want to be part of a team that really genuinely wants to make politics different."

The merger is being viewed as "realignment" or "consolidation" of the political right in Australia, but newly confirmed Senator Lucy Gichuhi, who was elected on the Family First ticket after former senator Bob Day was disqualified by the High Court, will not be joining the merger and will sit as an independent crossbencher.

Senator-elect Lucy Gichuhi statement on Family First & Australian Conservatives merger #auspolpic.twitter.com/y3PqRx0DYT — Political Alert (@political_alert) April 26, 2017

"I have not been able to determine if joining this new entity is the best way for me to serve the people of South Australia," Gichuhi said in a statement.

"It is on that basis that I have decided to serve as an independent Senator for the time being."

Bernardi revealed that the merger has been in the works before Gichuhi's elevation and the surprise politician-elect has not been able to quickly get her "head around" it.

Family First founder failed to get new senator Lucy Gichuhi to join merger with @corybernardi Conservatives https://t.co/BUUWHkjIh1#auspol — ABC News Adelaide (@abcnewsAdelaide) April 25, 2017

"For those of us who have been around politics for a long time, we can understand the consequences and implications of significant decisions like this," the Senator explained. "We got our head around it quickly but it is much more difficult for those who are new to the political environment.

"We wish Lucy well on her career."

Pauline Hanson's One Nation remains the main voter attraction in conservative politics, but it is the new grouping's failure to get Gichuhi across the line that has lead to mirth and dismissal by senior politicians from the major parties.

"Well it is a pretty remarkable effort when you have Family First with one Senator, Cory Bernardi pretending he has a party but with one senator and they amalgamate, so one plus one equals one!" Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese told Adelaide radio 5AA.

"It is not a bad effort (laughs) and it goes to Cory Bernardi's remarkable political skills."