Shared vision now stands a broken dream

THEY were once the fiercest of allies.

At one point it seemed like it was Jacqui Lambie and Rob Messenger against the world, particularly in the wake of the collapse of the relationship with Clive Palmer and his Palmer United Party.

Senator Lambie and Mr Messenger would come out hard on divisive issues, from wearing the burqa, to sharia law, to the influence of China.

It was often speculated that Mr Messenger, a former Nationals and independent MP in Queensland state politics, was pulling many of the Burnie-based Senator’s more extreme strings — the triggers that would spark praise and condemnation in equal measure.

And now the relationship is over in dramatic fashion and laid bare in documents tendered with the Federal Court.

Mr Messenger and his wife Fern make a series of serious and, at times, salacious claims about Senator Lambie and how she ran her office.

At first glance, they are damaging.

But it will be just as interesting to see how they are perceived by the public.

Senator Lambie’s greatest asset is her authenticity; the fact she reflects the very people who elected her at a time when public distrust of mainstream politics is at an alltime high.

It will come as no surprise to many that Senator Lambie uses colourful language, engages in dark humour or sometimes has a short fuse.

Or that she takes on issues from her electorate of which she and her staff may have little experience.

It is also clear that she is, more and more, becoming a very effective local representative, when her focus is more on what she can achieve for her constituents rather than whom she can offend.

Certainly her pointed remarks against fellow Senator Pauline Hanson’s burqa wearing stunt in Parliament were significant and would have been unlikely to have seen the light of day under Mr Messenger’s tutelage.

More problematic are claims such as allegedly proposing to dismiss a staff member who needed to take time away from work to care for a mother “suffering through the final stages of terminal cancer”; and issues regarding pecuniary interest and the use of Jacqui Lambie Network funds.

But at this point there is one side to the story — at least in terms of the allegations tabled in court.

Senator Lambie will have plenty of time to respond to the claims.

And the public will then decide whether in terms of their perception of the often named “Burnie Senator “, this really changes anything at all.

Senator Lambie’s greatest asset is her authenticity.