Family First said this week it would welcome the senator's defection "with open arms", and confirmed the senator meets with Family First's senator Bob Day "quite regularly as one would expect of two like-minded senators". Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi . Credit:Alex Ellinghausen But Senator Bernardi already has very close links to the party. Family First's national office is based at the Bert Kelly Research Centre, an imposing black building with tinted windows in inner Adelaide. The centre, built and funded by Senator Day, has over the years housed many of Australia's most conservative foundations, including the Samuel Griffiths Society, The Conservative Leadership Foundation, and the Australian Taxpayers Alliance.

The Conservative Leadership Foundation, which was headquartered there until last year, is a Senator Bernardi product and he is currently its chairman. Family First Senator Bob Day. Credit:Stefan Postles The CLF serves as "a leadership development and training organisation for young conservatives", according to its website. Senator Bernardi has also embraced online video via a project he calls Cory Bernardi TV – CBTV for short - in an attempt to get his conservative message out. The medium allows him to talk directly to his base without having to go through the mainstream media. But it can be revealed many of those videos were recorded in the purpose-built TV studio at the back of the Bert Kelly Research Centre, which was owned and operated by CBTV.

A spokesman for Senator Bernardi said he had no comment on questions about his links to Family First, or whether he was considering defecting to Family First. Whilst Family First would obviously welcome Senator Bernardi with open arms, he is serving a very important purpose as the conscience of the Liberal Party Senator Day's office confirmed Senator Bernardi was a regular visitor to his offices – Bernardi's electorate office is just down the road from the Bert Kelly Research Centre. In an emailed statement Senator Day's office said they would welcome Senator Bernardi's defection "with open arms". "Many people are telling us that Family First serves a vital purpose in moving motions, bills, amendments et cetera which many conservatives in the Coalition would agree, including Liberals like senator Cory Bernardi.

"Whilst Family First would obviously welcome Senator Bernardi with open arms, he is serving a very important purpose as the conscience of the Liberal Party. "I have had a long association with a good many members of the Liberal Party and we regularly talk about the many matters upon which we agree." The Bert Kelly Centre houses a substantial conservative library which is often used for book launches – several of which Senator Bernardi has personally MC'd, including the launch of climate change sceptic Ian Plimer's book, according to the centre's website. Follow us on Twitter