Jacqui Lambie MP concedes deal with Liberals 'wasn't the best', conceding 'we're brand new at this'

Rebekah Pentland, Andrew Jenner and Miriam Beswick spoke to ABC Radio about the “manic” weeks since the state election. (ABC Radio Hobart)

Newly-elected Jacqui Lambie Network MP Andrew Jenner says the deal his party signed to help the Liberals form government “wasn’t the best, but we’re brand new at this”.

Mr Jenner and his two parliamentary colleagues, Rebekah Pentland and Miriam Beswick, spoke to ABC Radio on Monday about the “manic” weeks since they were elected.

The deal the three Jacqui Lambie Network (JLN) MPs signed with Premier Jeremy Rockliff to help his party form government has been criticised by other MPs and commentators, who argued the JLN members had given away more than they should have.

Mr Jenner conceded the deal could have been better.

“We’ve bound ourselves in some way. I wasn’t happy with that … but that was the agreement we made,” he said.

“I feel it probably wasn’t the best we could do, but we were trying to get on with supply and confidence … Maybe it wasn’t the best, but we’re brand new at this.

Mr Jenner said JLN was “working with the government” and “if at any stage they get difficult, they know we’ll go back to the table and ask them to look at that again”.

Ms Pentland and Ms Beswick defended the deal.

“The idea is that it really gives us and the government time to communicate. It makes us communicate,” Ms Beswick said.

“It’s not going to let them just walk all over us. They have to give us notice and information and I think that’s very helpful both ways.”

[RADIO teaser embed]

She said the JLN members were “able to vote however we want to. We just need to be making sure we’re keeping that communication up”.

Ms Pentland said despite the backlash, the JLN had not asked the government to renegotiate any parts of the deal.

“We’re very confident with the deal,” she said.

“For 18 months that government was in disarray. We’re trying to start on a fresh foot and get things done in parliament.”

There has been speculation about how the JLN members will vote on contested issues, especially as the group has no elected leader and it ran without a unified political platform.

“At first we’re going to try to move as a bloc,” Ms Beswick said.

“We’ll sit at a round table and try to come to a compromise and to find a solution that fits the three of us.

“But, if not, I think we’re clear within our own right to independently vote if need be.”

‘I’ve never experienced anything like it’

Ms Pentland, Mr Jenner and Ms Beswick were hand-picked by the network’s leader and namesake, Senator Jacqui Lambie.

Mr Jenner said the criticism of the deal, the mounting workload — and getting elected in the first place — had caught him off guard.

“I’ve never experienced anything like it in my life,” he said.

“I’m used to a little bit of politics in England but that’s just on council level.

“I’m loving it, but gosh I’ve been up at 3am trying to read stuff to make sure I’m up to speed because … I obviously didn’t think we’d get in.

“I can’t say I was up to speed with everything.”

Ms Pentland said the team had hit the ground running in what had been “a very busy time”.

“You underestimate how hard we’ve all been working. We’re trying to set up offices and staffing, and then getting our heads around a lot of different different topics,” she said.

“We’ve been very busy over the past five weeks.”

State finance review underway

From the deal, the JLN members asked for an independent assessor to review the state’s finances, the proposed AFL stadium for Hobart, and to review the state’s Integrity Commission “with an eye to giving it greater capability to conduct its work”.

It’s also asked for reviews of the state’s right to information legislation, and political donation laws and for a range of actions relating to the state’s child sexual abuse commission of inquiry.

The government at the weekend announced the terms of reference for the independent review of state finances, to be led by independent economist Saul Eslake.

“What we’ve asked is access to all books,” Mr Jenner said.

“There are some that we haven’t had and that was part of the negotiations to make sure that Saul had access to absolutely everything.

Ms Beswick said Tasmanians were concerned about what the state was committing to financially.

“I think it’s really healthy to have the occasional audit of of anyone’s books.”

If you have a general news tip or feedback, please contact us via this form