Budget-lite mavericks vie in Tasmanian Senate grudge match

Tasmanians, ever partial to a maverick independent or downtrodden underdog, are spoiled for choice this Senate election.

Independent Senate candidate Craig Garland. Picture: Grant Wells.

Jacqui Lambie — on the comeback trail, determined but so broke she survived on Vegemite for a week — faces an equally straight-talking, cashed-up opponent who believes he has her measure.

Tasmanians, ever partial to a maverick independent or downtrodden underdog, are spoiled for choice at this Senate election.

Ms Lambie, the former senator who lost her seat in the dual citizenship fiasco 17 months ago, is back for one last shot.

Standing in her way is an eclectic mix of candidates, including northwest calamari fisherman-turned-kingmaker Craig Garland.

Mr Garland, who rattled the major parties at last year’s Braddon by-election but helped Labor hold the seat on preferences, is back. This time, he has financial backers, and believes he has a “very good” chance of securing a Senate spot.

Ms Lambie told The Australian she had hit hard times financially since losing her seat in November 2017, but was confident her ongoing campaigning, strong social media presence and appearances on reality TV shows had kept her profile alive.

“I have stayed out there; I did three lots of TV (shows) last year so I could pay my fricken bills — I don’t have a partner,” she said.

“One week I was that bloody proud I refused to go and get $50 off Mum and Dad and ate bloody Vegemite on toast for a week.”

Unable to pay for billboards or TV advertising, she has resorted to standing on street corners, waving election placards. She labelled her opponents “lazy” and her support as “a lot broader” than Mr ­Garland’s, while insisting she had what the major parties lacked. “I’ve got the trust,” she said.

If she failed, she would give up politics.

Mr Garland, who like Ms Lambie has a running mate to qualify for above-the-line “group” votes, is campaigning hard against ­salmon farm expansion, unpopular among many Tasmanians, particularly commercial and recreational fishers.

However, he distances himself from the Greens by promoting a new King George Whiting fishery, as well as selective logging.

He questioned Ms Lambie’s level of achievement.

“I don’t really want to go to Canberra — I just want to go fishing — but I don’t believe she could do justice for our cause,” he said.

“I’m better connected … I think Jacqui might have burnt a few bridges. I think I’ve got very good chances. If I just attract votes from one-fifth of the fishing community in this state, I’ll get in. That’s the ­reality.”

He said he didn’t have much left from the $17,770 electoral funding received from the Braddon by-election, after paying costs and debts. However, he had received $8000 from a defunct recreational fishers’ party, and $3000 from the Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers, which in ­December flew him to Canberra to meet Bill Shorten, among others.

The contest is also a grudge match between Ms Lambie and her former running mate, Steve Martin, who refused to give up the seat he inherited from her, instead joining the Nationals.

Adding further intrigue is Lisa Singh, the Labor senator whose popularity with voters was overlooked by factional warlords, who dumped her to a likely unwinnable spot on the party ticket.

Also competing for the six ­Senate spots is former state Greens leader-turned-senator Nick McKim, almost defeated by One Nation in 2016, and serial candidate Steve Mav.