Cory Bernardi is weighing up his political future after deciding to deregister his party the Australian Conservatives.
The South Australian senator is open to returning to the Liberal Party, but is yet to speak with Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Senator Bernardi announced on Thursday he would be deregistering his party after being disappointed in its election result.
He says his future is "something for the next round of contemplation".
"It's going to come back to the role I can play in the parliament," he told 2GB radio.
"How I can be effective - there's some unfinished business I'd like to resolve."
The senator says Australia has to open its mind to nuclear energy, and wants the government to protect innate freedoms.
Senator Bernardi left the Liberals in February 2017 to begin his own party, and says his supporters flocked back to the Liberals when Mr Morrison took the top job.
"The inescapable conclusion from our lack of political success, our financial position and the re-election of a Morrison-led government is that the rationale for the creation of the Australian Conservatives is no longer valid," he said.
The South Australian said his supporters had breathed a "sigh of relief" when Mr Morrison - a "man of faith and values" became prime minister.
"Malcolm Turnbull was leading a Labor-lite coalition into political oblivion," he said.
"As they abandoned their supporter base in pursuit of green-left policies, major party politics became an echo chamber rather than a battle of ideas."
Labor is meanwhile wondering what Senator Bernardi's decision says about the government.
"Cory Bernardi confirms the Liberals are now an extreme right wing outfit," Labor MP Brian Mitchell tweeted.
Mr Morrison will have a guaranteed 36 votes in the upper house if Senator Bernardi rejoins the Liberals, meaning he will only need the support of three crossbenchers to pass legislation.
Australian Associated Press
