Today’s extraordinary revelations that the three Jacqui Lambie Network MPs want out of their coalition deal with the Liberals and have distanced themselves from Senator Jacqui Lambie herself provide even more cause for concern about Tasmania’s flatlining economy.

As revealed in The Australian, Andrew Jenner MP, Rebekah Pentland MP and Miriam Beswick MP will seek to exit the deal they have now admitted wasn’t in their best interests, while also refusing to even commit to remaining in the party for the parliamentary term.

The Liberal-Lambie coalition deal is the only thing holding this government together. Without it, the government will be on even shakier ground than it is now.

Jacqui Lambie’s name is also the only thing that got the three Tasmanian MPs elected, and with no policies and no appetite to speak-up on important matters, they can hardly claim to be a stable unit without her.

Jeremy Rockliff got it right when he warned Tasmanians that chaos in the parliament would lead to chaos in the economy – he just didn’t say that the chaos would be his.

Since Premier Rockliff’s leadership sent his government into minority, Tasmania has already shed 5,000 jobs, the economy is flatlining and Tasmanians are leaving the state in record numbers for better opportunities elsewhere.

Josh Willie MP
Shadow Treasurer