Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer launches tirade at ‘liar’ Jacqui Lambie
JACQUI Lambie is a liar who has spent the past 11 months fooling veterans and orchestrating a Palmer United Party escape plan to start the “Lambie Party”, Clive Palmer says.
The PUP leader has launched a blistering and deeply personal attack on his colleague, ripping into her credentials as a former soldier and questioning whether she was rorting welfare before taking her Senate seat in July. LAMBIE TO DECIDE HER PUP FUTURE SOON
As the Tasmanian PUP senator contemplates her future, Mr Palmer sent a letter to members accusing her of using party money to visit veterans groups in January while supporting the fledgling Australian Defence Veterans Party – which he called the “Lambie Party”.
At the same time, she was a full-time, paid PUP Tasmanian organiser, he wrote.
Mr Palmer questioned whether the former military police officer, who suffered a debilitating back injury, was receiving disability payments while working – a claim rejected by Senator Lambie.
Mr Palmer accused her of further “deception” by making up internal party conflict and lying to the media to create a public profile for herself.
“She continues to act dishonestly and lie about me and other party members to gain media attention,” he said.
Naming her chief of staff Rob Messenger as the “mastermind” who wanted his own senate seat, Mr Palmer called on Tasmanians and veterans not to be “fooled to support such people of little character” as he insinuated the duo wanted ADVP leadership roles.
“Senator Lambie and her cohorts have never seen active military service and they just seek to use the veterans to gain political support,” he wrote.
“Having a person of questionable honesty who had previously been charged and convicted by the Australian Army has been a disappointment for the Palmer United Party.”
Senator Lambie said she was not involved with the ADVP, had no time for party politics and would never join another political party should she decide to resign from PUP.
“The senator will not respond to any further hurtful personal attacks by anyone, and will get on with the job of representing Tasmanians, defence families and veterans,” a statement issued by Mr Messenger said.
Mr Messenger denied wanting a Senate seat for himself and said he would never again join a political party either.
ADVP acting president Sandra Gallagher said neither Senator Lambie nor Mr Messenger had been party members.
Senator Lambie is expected to make an announcement today regarding her future. It is widely expected she will quit the party.
