Jacqui Lambie of the Jacqui Lambie Network (JLN) is not the first Australian politician to name a party after themselves, running candidates off their own personal brand.
But she may be the first to have been elected to another such party, Clive Palmer’s Palmer United Party (PUP), only to split and successfully form her own, building a reputation as a fierce advocate for veterans and Tasmanians.
There is some irony in the fact that Lambie recently lost her first successful appointee, fellow Senator Tammy Tyrrell, who in March left the party to sit as an independent, echoing Lambie’s own 2014 decampment (Tyrrell sat as a JLN senator for under two years; Lambie was a PUP senator for less than five months). Fortunately for Lambie, she’d just overseen the election of three new JLN candidates to the Tasmanian lower house, expanding her empire — though they’ve been notably quiet since signing a deal with the Liberal minority government.
It’s unclear what happened between Lambie and Tyrrell, who very much fit the Lambie mould. Tyrrell has claimed she faced criticism from the mysterious JLN board, which said she “wasn’t representing the network how they thought I should”. Lambie last week suggested her former staffer’s exit was prompted by her plans to take the party national, although Tyrrell denies this, saying Lambie told her to go.
That rupture, along with the fact Lambie is looking to expand, raises a few questions. What does it mean to be a Jacqui Lambie Network representative? Who has input into the candidates, other than Lambie? And what are voters actually voting for when they put a 1 next to the JLN in the Senate?
Lambie’s office did not make her available for an interview or respond to written questions about the JLN. It’s disconcerting, given the party’s emphasis on transparency, and the fact they plan to run Senate candidates in Queensland, NSW and SA (and potentially Victoria and WA).
The lead Queensland candidate has been named as Ange Harper, a fellow veteran with whom Lambie underwent ADF training in 1989. Harper’s past roles include public affairs director for Elbit Systems Australia (a subsidiary of the Israel-based military tech company) and communications director for the Queensland Resources Council, among more recent work for SAS Group, an LNP-linked lobbying firm that has been accused of exploiting loopholes. Asked recently what Queenslanders will get from a JLN rep, Harper deferred to Lambie’s record, citing their shared military values.
It’s hard to predict how these Senate bids will go. The JLN ran mainland candidates in 2016, winning just 0.34% of the vote in Queensland, a fraction of the 8.3% that saw Lambie re-elected in Tasmania. But her national profile has grown significantly since then, having spent years with a balance of power, attracting headlines for her colourful sprays. Lambie’s anti-politics seems ripe for this moment — if the JLN can beat out other populists vying for those unpredictable sixth spots.
As with many populists, it’s not always clear what the JLN stands for, beyond Jacqui-style politics — something Guy Rundle wrote about extensively during the Tasmanian poll. Its website says it wants to give “a leg up to the little guy” and “take the foot off people’s heads [sic]”. But there’s no overarching theory on how to do this, with Lambie telling ABC Hobart she wants people “without any ideology … doing what is the best thing for the country.”
The site mentions “members” having a say, though there’s no obvious way to join at this stage, and derides lobbyists and big business, ignoring the record of its Queensland nominee. The Tasmanian page offers slightly more intel, saying reps commit to “six core values,” and should seek feedback from their communities, rather than Lambie, in deciding how to vote. It’s unfortunate, then, that those reps signed a restrictive deal with the Rockliff government, limiting how they can vote.
That community feedback ambition sounds not dissimilar to the “voices of” model employed by independents around the country. But it seems as if JLN candidates are selected by Lambie, rather than by the community. The state MPs — Andrew Jenner, Rebekah Pentland and Miriam Beswick — were said to have been “hand-picked” by the senator, while Harper has said she was “asked” by Lambie.
The board Tyrrell spoke of remained hazy until last Thursday, when Lambie named Ian Basckin, Glenn Kolomeitz and Chris Hannan, denying it had been a secret until now. Yesterday afternoon, the website was updated to describe the “JLN Management Committee” as an “advisory committee that provides guidance and support to the Network in the areas of political party administration”, adding bios for its members. It remains unclear how board members are appointed.
None of this is to say Lambie hasn’t had a positive influence on our politics. There is no denying she brings an outsider’s voice and perspective, along with her experiences as a veteran, single mum, and welfare recipient. But it’s worth questioning what other voices she might be bringing with her, and whether we will ever find out how exactly that process works.
If Jacqui Lambie wants to give a leg up to “the little guy”, and get rid of external influence in politics, she may want to think a little harder about what her party stands for — and who she lends her name to.
Do you like what Jacqui Lambie stands for? Are you clear on what exactly that is? Let us know your thoughts by writing to letters@crikey.com.au. Please include your full name to be considered for publication. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.
