Media release
The Palmer United Party federal leader and Member for Fairfax, Clive Palmer, says Jacqui Lambie has lied to the Senate in a rant against him and has done so to cover up her own misgivings.
Mr Palmer today confirmed Senator Lambie had not spoken to him for a month and she had failed to return all his phone calls and attend parliamentary party meetings.
“This is because Senator Lambie’s planning to set up an alternate political party,” he said.
“Jacqui Lambie has not brought forward one proposal to the party about Tasmanians, the people who elected her, or about veterans.
“Her statements she has made about me today are false. She originally wrote to the Palmer United Party requesting we endorse her for the Senate.
“She just wants to have a fight about nothing which is not a rational way to behave as a respectable Senator. Also the statements she has made about voting against all government legislation in the Senate are untrue.
“She’s discussing with the government on how to reduce the RET for Tasmania so she won’t be voting against the government on that issue. She’s also proposing a private members’ bill to link increases in parliamentary salaries to Australian Defence Force (ADF) pay.
“This is a meaningless and pointless gesture and she should know parliamentary salaries have been frozen for the next two years. Does she want to freeze ADF wages and deny them the 1.5 per cent rise the government is offering?”
Mr Palmer said it was obvious Senator Lambie was following the scripts of her Chief of Staff, Rob Messenger.
“It’s easy to whinge about problems but harder to find solutions,” he said. “Palmer United Party senators Glenn Lazarus and Dio Wang and myself are about trying to find solutions.”
Mr Palmer said Senator Lambie obviously believes in the Palmer United Party as she is still a member.
“We hope she gets the appropriate assistance to get back on track,” he said.
ENDS