Editing Family First Party (section)

===Merger with the Australian Conservatives===
On 26 April 2017, a merger between the [[Australian Conservatives]] and the Family First Party was announced, with Family First to be absorbed into the Conservatives.<ref name="merger-aus">{{cite news|last1=Owen|first1=Michael|title=Bernardi and Family First join forces for conservative vote|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/bernardi-and-family-first-join-forces-for-conservative-vote/news-story/c2604388c3b1c7b1b320d7e9678f8b3d|access-date=25 April 2017|work=The Australian|date=25 April 2017}}</ref> Newly appointed Family First senator [[Lucy Gichuhi]] did not join the Conservatives, and became an independent senator when the Family First Party was disbanded.<ref name="gichuhi-ind">{{cite news|last1=Belot|first1=Henry|title=Bernardi unwilling to wait for Gichuhi to 'get her head around' party merger|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-26/cory-bernardi-unwilling-to-wait-for-gicuchi-for-amalgamation/8472754|access-date=26 April 2017|work=ABC News|date=26 April 2017|language=en-AU}}</ref> The party formally relinquished its registration with the [[Australian Electoral Commission]] on 30 August 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/Party_Registration/Deregistered_parties/files/2017-6292.pdf |title=Family First Party Voluntary Deregistration |quote=Notice under s 135(1) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 The Family First Party was registered on 5 March 2004 and deregistered on 30 August 2017. Reason: s 135(1) – voluntary deregistration |date=30 August 2017 |access-date=1 September 2017 |publisher=[[Australian Electoral Commission]]}}</ref>

Psephologist [[Antony Green]] suggested the merger could in part be attributed to the abolition of [[group voting ticket]]s, which makes it more difficult for like-minded parties to swap [[Instant-runoff voting|preferences]] without a certain amount of "leakage" to other parties.<ref name=antonyabc/>

According to John Macaulay, an executive of the Australian Conservatives Board, and the dissolution document of Family First, the Party did not merge with the Australian Conservatives. The Family First executive voted to dissolve the party, and in accordance with Australian law, they donated all their assets to the Australian Conservative Party.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-04-25 |title=Cory Bernardi's Australian Conservatives to amalgamate with Family First | first=Louise | last=Yaxley |language=en-AU |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-25/cory-bernardi-australian-conservatives-family-first-to-merge/8471244 |access-date=2022-06-18}}</ref>