Nationals scouting for talent as the party attempts to get Tassie representation again
‘Just arrogance’: An ex-Jacqui Lambie Network MP the slams Liberals as he announces his run for a party that's been on hiatus in the state for several years. Behind his move.
Tasmania
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Two politicians with experience in the Tasmanian House of Assembly have put their hands up to run for the Tasmanian National Party.
The party is aiming to field candidates in Bass, Braddon and Lyon’s targeting “disaffected” voters looking for more than a “protest party”.
Ex Jacqui Lambie Network member for Lyons Andrew Jenner has announced his intention to seek preselection for the party.
“70 to 80 per cent of Lyons is rural and regional, and I don’t think there is a better party position to represent it better than the Nationals,” Mr Jenner said.
He said he was disappointed that Senator Lambie had chosen not to run state candidates but believed his values aligned with the Nationals most closely.
Mr Jenner said he was a Liberal Party member for more than 40 years and said he did not re-join the party because they have caused the current political turmoil in the state.
“Rockliff could have ended all of this by just handing the baton over to somebody else.
“It’s just arrogance.”
Ex Liberal MP John Tucker had a leading hand in the downfall of the previous Rockliff government after he and fellow former Liberal Lara Alexander defected to sit as independents in 2023 over concerns about the transparency of the AFL stadium deal, among others.
Mr Tucker is happy to put his hat in the ring for the Nationals who have come out in staunch opposition to the Macquarie Point Stadium.
“In my opinion people are getting sick and tired of what’s going on,” he said, adding agreements made by the state government such as the AFL deal would “send the state broke”.
Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie told journalists at Richmond on Saturday the party was laser focused on the people of Tasmania and would be “backing small business, agriculture, mining, forestry, and fishing and making sure that regional Tasmanians have access to health and education services that people in Hobart take for granted,”
“That’s what our party has been doing for over 100 years and we want to continue to do that here in Tasmania.”
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Originally published as Nationals scouting for talent as the party attempts to get Tassie representation again
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