MUSICAL CHAIRS IN THE AUSTRALIAN SENATE
* BRIAN BURSTON (One Nation to independent to United Australia Party)
A spectacular falling-out with One Nation leader Pauline Hanson led to Brian Burston's bizarre switch to Clive Palmer's rebadged United Australia Party. His defection on Monday came minutes after he told the Senate he would sit as an independent.
* FRASER ANNING (One Nation to independent to Katter's Australian Party)
Anning made a chaotic start to life as a federal politician, with Pauline Hanson kicking him out of One Nation on the grounds he had abandoned the party. His refusal to stand aside to pave the way for Malcolm Roberts' return after he was claimed by dual citizenship saw him banished to sit as an independent. He joined Bob Katter's Australian Party earlier in the month.
* STEVE MARTIN (Jacqui Lambie Network to independent to Nationals)
The former Devonport mayor had a barney with his one-time leader Jacqui Lambie after he declined to give up his seat for her. Lambie's dual citizenship led to Martin's entry to parliament. He sat as an independent until joining the Nationals, bringing the party back from the dead on the Apple Isle last month.
* TIM STORER (Nick Xenophon Team to independent)
By the time the citizenship saga thrust Storer into the Senate in March, the South Australian had left Nick Xenophon's party. He chose to sit as an independent after being elected because he was next on the NXT's Senate ticket after Skye Kakoschke-Moore, who was ruled ineligible by the High Court.
* LUCY GICHUHI (Family First to independent to Liberals)
Replaced Bob Day in the Senate because she was next on Family First's ticket. But she declared she would sit as independent following Family First's merger with the Australian Conservatives. After almost seven months on the crossbench, the South Australian senator joined the Liberal Party in February.
* CORY BERNARDI (Liberals to independent to Australian Conservatives)
The towering South Australian was accused of betraying Liberal values when he quit the government in February 2017 to sit as an independent and then set up his own Australian Conservatives party in April of that year. The party struggled in its home-state election in March, losing both upper house MPs in SA's upper house.
Australian Associated Press
