‘Can’t say I was happy’ with Liberal deal: Jacqui Lambie Network MP Andrew Jenner
One of the state’s three new Jacqui Lambie Network MPs has made a candid admission about the minor party’s deal to provide confidence and supply to the Rockliff Liberal government.
Tasmania
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Jacqui Lambie Network (JLN) MP Andrew Jenner says he isn’t “happy” with the controversial deal the minor party reached with Premier Jeremy Rockliff to provide confidence and supply to the Liberal minority government, conceding it “probably wasn’t the best we could do” but resolving to “make it work”.
Mr Jenner, a former mayor of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the UK, has been elected to represent Lyons as a first-time MHA.
Speaking to ABC Radio on Monday, he said the agreement that he and his two JLN colleagues in the state parliament, Braddon MP Miriam Beswick and Bass MP Rebekah Pentland, had signed with the government was the product of “good faith” negotiations but had its shortcomings.
“We bound ourselves in a way – I can’t say I was happy with that, as you know – but that was the agreement we made,” he said.
Mr Jenner said that despite the deal’s shortcomings, the Lambies would “make it work”.
The deal, finalised last month, guarantees confidence and supply from the JLN MPs and appears to bind them to back the government in a range of areas where even Liberal MPs are allowed a conscience vote.
The Lambies are required under the deal to notify the government of any intention to vote against it in advance, and they have agreed to vote in favour of any adjournment so negotiations can occur.
In exchange for their support, the Premier has agreed to meet with them once a week when parliament is sitting and once a fortnight when it’s not, while they will also receive advance briefing on the state budget, four additional staff, and a party room in Parliament House.
Mr Jenner, Ms Beswick, and Ms Pentland have also secured reviews of the state’s finances, the Integrity Commission, and right to information and political donations laws.
Mr Jenner acknowledged criticisms of the deal after people lambasted the JLN newcomers for supposedly failing to obtain any meaningful concessions and signing themselves up to a restrictive arrangement.
“People have been going on about the binding, obviously, and maybe the adjournments and a few other things that could have perhaps been handled better,” he said.
“But they weren’t and we’re fine with that now.”
The Lyons MP said if the deal became unworkable “we’ll go back to the table and ask [the government] to look at that again”.
Ms Pentland told the ABC that the party would “at first” try to “move as a bloc”, seeking to reach consensus positions on issues that came before them but would “go against each other if we need to and do what’s right for our constituents and our electorates”.
On Saturday, the JLN announced that the independent review of Tasmania’s finances would proceed, overseen by prominent economist Saul Eslake.
The review will also include independent financial modelling around the Macquarie Point stadium proposal, undertaken by economist Nicholas Gruen.
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