YOU ARE DUMPED
LAMBIE AND HER SENATOR BREAK UP
STEVE Martin has been expelled from the Jacqui Lambie Network — the party whose ticket he has ridden to a seat in Federal Parliament.
The Burnie mayor was given his marching orders last night by Jacqui Lambie after refusing to step aside and let the former senator return to Parliament after renouncing her British citizenship.
Ms Lambie had made a big mistake and deserved to pay, said Mr Martin, who will now take his seat in the Senate as an independent.
Ms Lambie’s response last night was to accuse Mr Martin of disloyalty and notify him the JLN management committee had moved to expel him.
“Your lack of commitment to the net- work since the last election shows us that you are not interested in following our values,” she said. “I think we need to face facts, the relationship between yourself, the party and myself has completely broken down.”
THE Jacqui Lambie Network expelled Devonport Mayor and Senator-elect Steve Martin from the party at a meeting last night.
The dramatic move came after Mr Martin refused to move aside so that Ms Lambie could resume the place in the Senate she lost as a dual citizen.
Mr Martin was expelled for making statements about the party without reference to the convener (Ms Lambie).
It means Mr Martin is likely to take up his position in the Senate as an independent.
He was unable to be contacted for comment last night.
In a statement Ms Lambie said: “I don’t feel you’ve been honest or upfront with me since my resignation.
“You gave me your commitment to retain our staff, who have given their all to the JLN and who have the necessary experience to ease your transition to Canberra. Today you announced they are all to be terminated.
“This, coupled with your lack of commitment to the network since the last election, shows us that you are not interested in following our values
“I have tried speaking to you, and you have informed me that you will not be available for at least a couple of weeks. I think we need to face facts, the relationship between yourself, the party and myself has completely broken down.
“During the course of today you made public statements to the media, purporting to be from the party.
“This was done without getting the authority of the convener to make any such statements.
“Therefore, it is my duty to inform you, that the management committee of the Jacqui Lambie Network has moved to expel you from the party.”
Earlier Mr Martin told Ms Lambie in a telephone call that she had made a mistake (dual citizenship) and would have to pay for it.
A spokesman for Ms Lambie, Glynn Williams, said Ms Lambie had told Mr Martin that she would like to help him on Senate legislation as well maintain the JLN state election campaign.
“Mr Martin made it clear to Jacqui that he expected to be busy setting up a new office and that he will be replacing all of Jacqui’s former staff with new staff. He declined all offers of help,” Mr Williams said.
“Ms Lambie is extremely disappointed by Mr Martin’s position.”
“From the perspective of the Jacqui Lambie Network there was an overwhelming expectation that the proper thing to do was for Mr Martin to create a casual vacancy.”
Ms Lambie resigned from the Senate in December after realising she had inherited British citizenship from her Scottish father.
On Tuesday, Mr Martin was found by the High Court to be eligible to take up the Senate vacancy.
Senators are paid a base salary of $199,000 while the Devonport mayor position pays an allowance of about $76,000 a year. Mr Martin told the Mercury he would be looking to inherit the six-year Senate term won by Ms Lambie at the 2016 election, rather than a three-year term that resulted from the recount.
Ms Lambie polled 11,463 first preference votes in the 2016 election compared to Mr Martin’s 233.
Mr Martin and former Liberal senator Richard Colbeck are expected to be sworn in next Monday to replace Ms Lambie and Senate president Stephen Parry respectively.
Mr Martin’s determination to hold on to the seat came after Ms Lambie last Saturday suggested that as matter of personal morality Mr Martin should stand aside and let her return to the Senate via a casual vacancy.
He rejected that argument yesterday.
“I was asked by Jacqui to run for the Jacqui Lambie Network as their number two,” he said. “She was interested in like-minded people who are independent who are able to conscience vote whenever they wanted to and I joined under that umbrella.
“Now unfortunately she has made a huge mistake and that position has now become vacant.
“I have been deemed eligible and therefore am going to take the seat.”