Jacqui Lambie replacement Steve Martin says she knew he’d take seat

Steve Martin, who will replace Jacqui Lambie in the Senate, says he always intended to take up the seat if found to be eligible.

Steve Martin after his High Court win, in Canberra. Picture: Kym Smith

Jacqui Lambie has confirmed she will expel her replacement Steve Martin from the Jacqui Lambie Network (JLN), saying his actions don’t reflect the “mateship, respect and integrity” the party is built on.

In a letter addressed to Mr Martin and sent to the media, Ms Lambie said she didn’t feel her appointed replacement had “been honest or upfront” since her resignation from the Senate in November, for being a British citizen.

Ms Lambie said she was moving to expel Mr Martin after their relationship “completely broke down.” She cited issues such as failing to retain staff and a “lack of commitment to the Network since the last election.”

“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,” Ms Lambie said. “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.”

Ms Lambie said Mr Martin’s continued association with the JLN would have “a negative effect on the twelve state candidates who are currently running in Northern Tasmania,” who “without fail put Tasmania first.”

Mr Martin’s expulsion from the JLN comes a day after the High Court ruled him eligible to take her senate seat.

Earlier today, this paper reported that Ms Lambie said if she was in Mr Martin’s position she would step aside to allow for her return under a casual vacancy.

Mr Martin said it was always his intention to take up the seat if the High Court found he was eligible to be a federal parliamentarian.

He and Lambie exchanged texts after the court unanimously found yesterday he could sit as a Tasmanian senator and did not hold an office of profit under the Crown even though he is Devonport mayor.

Mr Martin said Ms Lambie had known he would take the seat if he could.

“It was always my intention to take the seat and it was clear to Jacqui from day one. Jacqui resigned from the Senate and then was disqualified. That’s when the pathway (to enter the Senate) commenced and I’ve continued with it,” Mr Martin said.

“I sent her a text (yesterday) advising her the High Court unanimously decided I was eligible. I received a text back about an hour later (saying) ‘good on you, congratulations, give me a call’.”

Jacqui Lambie resigns from the Senate. Picture: Gary Ramage.

Asked if he had phoned Ms Lambie, Mr Martin said: “I’ve been busy.”

Ms Lambie has made it well known she wants to return to the Senate and noted in a lengthy interview that she had finally found her “mojo” after she first entered federal politics in 2014.

“Whatever Steve does, if he thinks he can do a much better job than I can, if that opportunity doesn’t arise so be it,” she told Tasmania Talks radio yesterday.

“It’s just my moral (upbringing), I would stand down. If I knew that that person had the opportunity to come back in then I would stand down. That’s what I would do personally but that’s not up to me, that’s up to Steve Martin.

“Let Steve Martin go in there and I think he’ll work out pretty quickly it’s not just a walk-in job and it’s very, very difficult. You’ve got to make friends, you’ve got to be able to do deals and that doesn’t come overnight I can tell you right now.”

Mr Martin said he had no plans to defect from the Jacqui Lambie Network and become an independent.

“I’m holding my word on what I’ve set out to do and that is to be sworn in as a JLN candidate and get on with the job of working with Tasmania,” he said.

It is likely Mr Martin will receive a three-year term, meaning he would have to recontest the next federal election which could occur as early as this year.

Mr Martin said he would clarify the length of his Senate term once he was sworn-in and has not ruled out launching High Court action if he gets three years instead of six.

Ms Lambie had been serving a six-year term after being elected to the 4th Tasmanian Senate spot but Mr Martin was elected to the 9th spot following a special count.

A Senate agreement after the double dissolution election saw the top six elected senators receive six years and the bottom six get three years.