Two Jacqui Lambie Network MPs have been booted from the party by its namesake leader, who said the pair no longer held the values of “accountability, transparency and integrity”.
Rebekah Pentland and Miriam Beswick will “no longer serve” as JLN members in the House of Assembly, a statement on Saturday afternoon confirmed.
“It is unfortunate that Mrs Beswick and Mrs Pentland failed to uphold the Jacqui Lambie Network values of transparency and accountability,” the statement said.
“Their cosy relationship with Minister [Michael] Ferguson and the sharing of Question Time questions with the government before asking them undermines the duty to the people of Tasmania to hold the government to account.”
Remaining Lambie MP Andrew Jenner will continue to represent the network.
Jacqui Lambie Network faces collapse as two Tasmanian MPs consider leaving
1pm, Saturday August 24: The Jacqui Lambie Network (JLN) is said to be on the verge of collapse, with two of its three state MPs considering leaving the party.
According to The Australian, Miriam Beswick and Rebekah Pentland are ‘deeply frustrated’ with Senator Lambie’s recent calls for the removal of Deputy Premier and Treasurer Michael Ferguson.
The pair are reportedly considering breaking away from the JLN and sitting as independents before parliament resumes in September.
The newspaper described the situation between Lambie and her state MPs as having “reached rock bottom”, with Beswick and Pentland no longer having a working relationship with their former mentor.
“There is deep concern Senator Lambie appears willing to destabilise or even tear down the state government she agreed to prop up just four months ago,” the newspaper reports.
“Some are concerned Senator Lambie is focused on grabbing headlines to boost her profile and aid her re-election, rather than deliver on the promise of stable government.”
The Australian also reports that JLN MP Andrew Jenner has been trying to keep the trio together, but the relationship between Pentland, Beswick and Lambie is “irretrievable”.
Both MPs said they were ‘taking time to think things through’.
During the state election campaign earlier in the year, the Liberals pledged to introduce new legislation that would force MPs who quit their party mid-term to forfeit their seat.
It is yet to be implemented.
“Tasmanians deserve to have the Government they voted for,” Premier Jeremy Rockliff said during the campaign.
“At the last two elections, Tasmanians have voted for a majority Liberal Government, but this has been stolen away by individual MPs resigning from their parties and continuing to sit in the Parliament as independents.”
“This situation is clearly untenable, unfair and lacking integrity on the part of these ‘renegade’ MPs.”
