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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/feb/02/independent-senator-lucy-gichuhi-defects-to-liberals-in-boost-for-coalition
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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Independent senator Lucy Gichuhi defects to Liberals in boost for Coalition | Independent senator Lucy Gichuhi defects to Liberals in boost for Coalition |
| (13 days later) | |
| Independent South Australian senator Lucy Gichuhi has defected to the Liberal party in a surprise move giving the prime minister a much needed additional seat in the senate. | Independent South Australian senator Lucy Gichuhi has defected to the Liberal party in a surprise move giving the prime minister a much needed additional seat in the senate. |
| Malcolm Turnbull welcomed the new Liberal member to the party on Friday outside parliament. | Malcolm Turnbull welcomed the new Liberal member to the party on Friday outside parliament. |
| “Those values – freedom, enterprise, getting ahead, opportunity - they are liberal values and you embody them ... welcome to the Liberal family,” Turnbull said in a video posted on Twitter. | “Those values – freedom, enterprise, getting ahead, opportunity - they are liberal values and you embody them ... welcome to the Liberal family,” Turnbull said in a video posted on Twitter. |
| Gichuhi took the seat of Family First senator Bob Day following a vote recount after he was ruled ineligible to stand for election. | Gichuhi took the seat of Family First senator Bob Day following a vote recount after he was ruled ineligible to stand for election. |
| She then quit Family First after it merged with the Australian Conservatives. | She then quit Family First after it merged with the Australian Conservatives. |
| In the social media video the new Liberal senator said she thought the move would help her serve South Australians. | In the social media video the new Liberal senator said she thought the move would help her serve South Australians. |
| “I didn’t discover that until I did my maiden speech and I thought wow - I can’t believe how liberal I am at the core,” Gichuhi said. | “I didn’t discover that until I did my maiden speech and I thought wow - I can’t believe how liberal I am at the core,” Gichuhi said. |
| The shock move has improved the Coalition government’s position in the senate, bringing the total of seats to 29 to Labor’s 25. | The shock move has improved the Coalition government’s position in the senate, bringing the total of seats to 29 to Labor’s 25. |
| But the government will still need the support of the crossbench in order to pass legislation. | But the government will still need the support of the crossbench in order to pass legislation. |
| The defection is another boost for Turnbull after the resignation of Labor MP David Feeney who was unable to prove he was no longer a British citizen. | The defection is another boost for Turnbull after the resignation of Labor MP David Feeney who was unable to prove he was no longer a British citizen. |
| The Greens are a big chance to win the by-election in Feeney’s seat of Batman, which would give the government some breathing space in the lower house where it currently holds a one-seat majority. | The Greens are a big chance to win the by-election in Feeney’s seat of Batman, which would give the government some breathing space in the lower house where it currently holds a one-seat majority. |
| Australian politics | Australian politics |
| Malcolm Turnbull | Malcolm Turnbull |
| Coalition | Coalition |
| Liberal party | Liberal party |
| news | news |
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