The political turncoats: MPs who cut ties

PROMINENT POLITICIANS WHO DEFECTED

BILLY HUGHES: WWI prime minister quit the Labor Party after walking out of a caucus meeting over conscription. He formed the National-Labor Party and governed with the support of the Liberal opposition.

JOE LYONS: A minister in the Scullin Labor government before he crossed the floor in 1931. Sided with the Nationalists to form the United Australia Party. Became prime minister in 1932.

EDWARD ST JOHN: Liberal backbencher who quit the party after speaking out against Prime Minister John Gorton, sitting as an independent until defeated at the 1969 election.

STEELE HALL: The South Australian premier founded the Liberal Movement Party and served in the Senate before switching to the lower house and the Liberal Party.

DON CHIPP: A former coalition cabinet minister who left the Liberal Party to form the Australian Democrats, pledging to "keep the bastards honest".

CHERYL KERNOT: Australian Democrats leader who defected to the Labor after being recruited by Gareth Evans - the former foreign minister she had an affair with.

MAL COLSTON: Left the Labor Party to become the Senate's deputy president in a deal orchestrated by the Howard government.

JANET POWELL: Another Democrats leader, who saw out her parliamentary term as an independent before being defeated in 1993.

BOB KATTER: Quit the Nationals, to run as an independent before forming his Katter's Australian Party.

PETER SLIPPER: The former Liberal MP quit the party to become Speaker under an agreement with the Gillard Labor government.

JACQUI LAMBIE/GLENN LAZARUS: The pair cut ties with the Palmer United Party, leaving Clive Palmer with only one senator in the 44th parliament.