They are polar opposites on climate change and gay marriage but that hasn't stopped Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull from rubbing shoulders and raising money at the headquarters of Cory Bernardi's Conservative Leadership Foundation.
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Election 2016: Turnbull's plebiscite agenda
The PM has given the clearest indication yet when a gay marriage plebiscite will be held if the Coalition wins the election. Courtesy ABC News 24.
Mr Turnbull was photographed entering the foundation's Adelaide headquarters on Thursday night for what sources described as a private cocktail party event.
One Liberal said the occasion, attended by the city's business elite, was expected to raise tens of thousands of dollars for the South Australian Senate campaign.
"We'll make quite a bit tonight," the source said. Afterwards, sources said the event ran longer than scheduled and raised more than expected, putting the figure in the "several hundreds of thousands" of dollars. Also seen attending the event were South Australian Liberals Anne Ruston, Sean Edwards and Simon Birmingham.
A picture of the Queen was seen hanging on the wall - Cory Bernardi is a staunch monarchist while Malcolm Turnbull led the failed Republican campaign in the 1999 referendum.
The CLF website notes the venue is the "headquarters of Australia's conservative movement" and can host 150 people in a "cocktail format." There were attempts to replace some of the foundation's signage with Mr Turnbull's paraphernalia but its understood this was swiftly rebuffed.
The CLF's shop boast an array of Cory Bernardi merchandise, including "Hardcore Conservative" T-shirts and the senator's five books. His most recent is The Conservative Revolution, in which Senator Bernardi labelled women who have abortions as "abhorrent and pro-death."
He also said children from single mother families have higher levels of criminality and promiscuity, and claimed his views were not "far-right" but "enduring."
Earlier, Mr Turnbull held a teleconference with Senator Bernardi's factional rival Christopher Pyne, who holds the marginal seat of Sturt.
Mr Turnbull's decision to associate himself with the Conservative Leadership Foundation will play into Labor's claims that he is little different to former leader Tony Abbott.
Mr Turnbull and Senator Bernardi clashed over the issue of gay marriage in 2013 when the South Australian called on Mr Turnbull to stick to party policy to oppose change or quit the frontbench.
Despite criticising a plebiscite as an inferior option to resolving the issue, Mr Turnbull has adopted Mr Abbott's plan to hold a plebiscite instead of allowing the Parliament to decide the issue.
Mr Abbott has repeatedly argued that little has changed since Mr Turnbull's elevation to the leadership, particularly on critical areas like gay marriage and climate change, where Mr Turnbull is viewed as a moderate.
Speaking to The Conversation's Michelle Grattan on Thursday, before the event took place, Mr Abbott said leaders had to give up their private views in the interests of the team.
"The interesting thing is as party leader, you are very much a product of the party in the way you aren't quite when you are simply a senior frontbencher," Mr Abbott said.
"You become party leader and you don't have the luxury of a private view anymore," he said.
Senator Bernardi was instrumental in orchestrating Mr Turnbull's initial downfall as Liberal leader in 2009 over Labor's proposed emissions trading scheme. He is also one of the Parliament's most prominent campaigner against legalising same-sex marriage.
The CLF has close links with Family First, a socially conservative fringe party whose sole senator Bob Day is likely to be booted out in the upcoming double dissolution election.
Senator Bernardi established the foundation in 2009 to promote young conservatives. There have been repeated reports he is laying the groundwork for a breakaway party, which he has denied.
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