The Country Liberal Party has two months to find 1500 members to avoid being deregistered as a political party by the Australian Electoral Commission, but it’s unlikely they will have to prove anything before the impending federal election is called.

The AEC finally took action to investigate the party’s status more than a month after Senator Sam McMahon resigned from the CLP, leaving it with no sitting reps in the federal Parliament, however a federal election call will likely mean the party would not be deregistered before the election and likely won’t have to prove its member numbers.

On Monday, the AEC downgraded the CLP to a “non-parliamentary party” and contacted the party to provide two months notice to find 1500 members to remain an official party, but it remains unclear why the AEC did not start investigating sooner.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to call a federal election next month, which would suspend the AEC’s registration investigation, meaning the CLP would not have to prove they have 1500 members to retain its federal party status before the election.

Its candidates are expected to now be permitted to run with CLP logos on campaign material, while the party remains registered during the registration process.

It’s expected the party will have at least one candidate elected, which would end the AEC process completely.

An AEC spokesman denied there was any delay in launching an investigation into the CLP’s status after Ms McMahon’s resignation in January and that the independent electoral body would “never purposefully delay any required process”.

“Following media reports of Senator McMahon’s intention to resign, we swiftly contacted CLP regarding the matter,” said Evan Ekin-Smith.

“While we of course saw the media coverage we need formal confirmation before we can action anything.

“I note that CLP is now listed on the AEC website as a non-parliamentary party and our process for these situations is to write to the relevant party to request a member list of 1,500. In this situation a party has a legislated timeframe of two months to respond and they remain registered during the process.”

But Mr Ekin-Smith added that the AEC does recognise there most likely would not be enough time to investigate before the impending election.

“Depending on the timing of an election announcement (and more importantly an issue of writs), there is a potential that any party registration process currently afoot is not concluded in time for the election,” he said. “Once writs are issued all party registration activity is paused, and whoever is on the register at that time remains registered for the purposes of the election. Such matters are picked up again post-election.”

The CLP had previously claimed they would be protected from deregistration because of their association with the Nationals Party, however the AEC rejected that argument at the time and said they would have to find 1500 members on their own.

Nats not ‘loaning’ sitting senator to the CLP; Senator McMahon off to London

The NT News incorrectly reported on Sunday that the Nationals would “loan” the CLP an interstate senator to maintain their parliamentary party status and avoid the registration audit.

Nationals officials told the NT Independent that was one of a few options discussed in a private meeting of only a few senior party figures at central council over the weekend, but that the party would not be exercising that option.

The idea was first raised in an NT Independent article in January about the CLP’s future as one option the party could take, but that would involve changing the party’s constitution and would mean the party would have to admit they don’t have enough members, as well as the implications for its claim to be the “Territory Party”.

The party could also have joined either the federal Liberal or Nationals parties or somehow come up with 1500 members, which current estimates from party insiders has at below 400 members as of last month.

Meanwhile, current independent Senator Sam McMahon was seen onboard a flight departing Darwin for London on Friday night ahead of the central council meeting that saw party president Jamie De Brenni resign and replaced with current president Fiona Darcy.

Ms McMahon had claimed she felt “unsafe” at central council meetings, which was part of the reason she resigned from the party.

The CLP has been contacted for comment.