Jacqui Lambie prepared to split Palmer United Party over demand for better Defence Force pay deal
By political reporter
Melissa Clarke, staff
Updated about an hour agoFri 7 Nov 2014, 10:59am
VIDEO: Senator Jacqui Lambie is threatening to block government legislation (ABC News)
PHOTO: Jacqui Lambie says she will "fight like hell" over the pay deal.
RELATED STORY: Military personnel vent frustration at ADF pay offer
MAP: Australia
Palmer United Party (PUP) senator Jacqui Lambie says she is prepared to cause a split within her party over her demands for better pay for Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel.
Senator Lambie has threatened to oppose all Government legislation unless it boosts the pay deal that was handed down to serving men and women last week.
Defence personnel will get a pay rise of 1.5 per cent a year for three years, but with inflation at 2.3 per cent that amounts to a wage cut in real terms.
Senator Lambie told the ABC she was going to "fight like hell" to get a better deal and "if Clive Palmer doesn't want to stand beside me, that's Clive Palmer's call".
"It's getting to the point where I just don't care what Clive Palmer's position is on this at the moment," she said.
What do you think about Senator Lambie's decision to oppose all government legislation? Have your say.
"If he had a conscience, he'd stand right beside me and our troops and our veterans and make a stance on this now."
She said ADF personnel were "prepared to take a round for their country and some of them are on less than $100,000 a year to do this".
"You want to give them a pay cut and you want to take leave off them at Christmas time? That leave that they spend with their families that is so precious to them ... no, it's enough. [Prime Minister Tony] Abbott has gone right over the line on this one."
Palmer can't sit on the fence, Lambie says
The Tasmanian senator said she told her party leader about her plan to vote against all government legislation.
Senator Lambie said Mr Palmer did not try to talk her out of it, but did not offer support either.
"Clive Palmer can no longer sit on the fence," she said.
"He's either standing by me or standing by the Liberal-National Party. I'm not going to stand around watching Clive Palmer backflipping all over the place."
In a statement, Mr Palmer said he would consistently oppose any reductions in pay to people who serve the country.
"In relation to Senator Lambie and her comments, she is very passionate about this issue as she did wear a uniform and served this country for more than 10 years," he said.
"The beauty of democracy is that people are allowed to have their own positions on matters such as these."
Earlier, a spokesman for Mr Palmer said there was room for debate in the party.
Senator Lambie said she had no intention of leaving the PUP, even if she had to split with her colleagues on this issue.
"Clive will have to decide whether or not he wants to see his party separated in the Senate," she said.
But Mr Palmer's spokesman was optimistic the PUP would remain a united force.
"Senator Lambie has always voted with the Palmer United Party and we expect that to continue," he said.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Mr Abbott should "hang his head in shame" over the issue.
"It is disrespectful, it is disgraceful and it is disastrous for the men and women we ask to protect Australia," he said.
"If Tony Abbott really valued our soldiers, pilots and navy personnel, he'd pay them properly."
Mr Shorten said funding for a fair pay deal was provided for in the budget.
Topics: government-and-politics,
federal-parliament,
laws,
defence-forces,
australia
First posted
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-...ose-bills-until-adf-pay-offer-boosted/5873432
