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AAP
AAP
Politics
Callum Godde and Rachael Ward

Ousted MPs in talks for new deal with minority premier

Jeremy Rockliff is banking on a deal with two newly independent MPs to keep his government alive. (Rob Blakers/AAP PHOTOS)

Two former Jacqui Lambie Network MPs are negotiating a new deal to guarantee supply and confidence to Tasmania's minority Liberal government.

Braddon MP Miriam Beswick and Bass MP Rebekah Pentland will sit as independents in the lower house after being expelled on Saturday by the network founded by Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie.

The pair are among the crossbenchers Premier Jeremy Rockliff's minority Liberal government relies on to stay in power after the March election.

In a bid to assuage fears of the Rockliff government collapsing, Ms Beswick and Ms Pentland issued a joint statement on Sunday.

Tasmanian MP Miriam Beswick
Miriam Beswick (pictured) and Rebekah Pentland will continue as independents. (Rob Blakers/AAP PHOTOS)

"We are committed to providing the certainty and stability Tasmania deserves," they said.

"We will continue to offer the Rockliff government supply and confidence.

"We'll sign a new agreement with the premier in the coming days and share that agreement publicly once it's finalised."

Tasmanian Police, Fire and Emergency Management Minister Felix Ellis confirmed the premier had reached out to the MPs but would not say if the terms of the new agreement would be the same as the one with the JLN.

"We're working through the negotiations with the crossbench," he told reporters on Sunday.

"I won't be pre-empting that but certainly they've indicated a strong desire to see certainty and stability.

"Ultimately, we need a parliament that's focused on the things that really matter for Tasmanians."

Jacqui Lambie Network Senator Jacqui Lambie
The JLN has just one MP left in the lower house, after Jacqui Lambie booted out two others. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)

The JLN, which still has Lyons MP Andrew Jenner in the lower house, said Ms Beswick and Ms Pentland had "squandered" a golden opportunity to hold the government to account.

"(They) have made it clear that they no longer represent the Jacqui Lambie Network's values of accountability, transparency and integrity," the party said.

Ms Pentland said the pair rejected those assertions, while Ms Beswick said their relationship with Ms Lambie had deteriorated over the past few months.

Labor Opposition Leader Dean Winter said the premier needed to get the new agreement sorted as quickly as possible, ahead of September 12 state budget.

"No one wants an early election, including me," he said on Sunday.

"Tasmanians are always right and they've given us this parliament to try and work as best as possible."

The Parliament of Tasmania
The Tasmanian government relies on the crossbench to pass its legislation. (Rob Blakers/AAP PHOTOS)

Mr Winter, who replaced Rebecca White as state Labor leader in April, said he was not surprised the Rockliff government's deal with the JLN was in tatters after four months.

"Tasmanians know Jacqui Lambie pretty well now," he said.

"They know that she's a fighter but what she's not known for is stability."

One condition of JLN agreeing to prop up the Liberal government, in power since 2014, was a deal for an independent report into the state's finances.

Economist Saul Eslake's analysis painted a bleak picture of the state's budget and found the Liberal government was "entirely to blame" for the state's economic deterioration.

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