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Clive Palmer expels Jacqui Lambie's chief of staff

The Palmer United Party is in a state of turmoil after outspoken senator Jacqui Lambie's chief of staff, Rob Messenger, was expelled.

"Everything Senator Lambie says is really coming from her chief of staff," party leader Clive Palmer said in a statement, accusing Senator Lambie of acting as "Rob Messenger's mouthpiece".

"Last night our executive met and we have agreed to expel Rob Messenger from the party on the grounds of making false and misleading statements about our Senators."

Jaqcui Lambie denies there's a split in the Palmer United Party but admits her relationship with leader Clive Palmer can sometimes be strained.

"Well, you know, it's up and down with Clive Palmer, so, you know, there's going to be some argy-bargy," she told ABC TV.


Jacqui Lambie admits things can sometimes be strained between her and her PUP boss Clive Palmer. Photo: AAP


Senator Lambie is refusing to pass any government legislation until the Abbott government betters a below inflation pay deal for Defence, even if it has the support Mr Palmer.

"If I'm told I'll follow the party line, the party will be shown I won't be following the party line and it's up to Clive Palmer to ask me to leave," she told ABC TV.

"I'm asking him to help those people that he knows I'm trying to help and I just don't feel like I'm getting support out of Clive Palmer or the Palmer United Party senators with that."

Senator Lambie will vote with her conscience on issues affecting Tasmania, veterans and military pay, and wants more support from her party.

Unless her colleagues also started using their consciences a bit more, PUP might start losing its bearings, she said.

"If the party is going to survive then they better come up with a bloody better plan of attack than they've been using," she said.

"One thing I won't do is, I won't lie to the Australian people and I'm not going to sit here and make my PUP senators and Clive Palmer look good when I'm not feeling that way about them. I won't do that."

Former PUP insiders also told the ABC they resigned in frustration because party members were not going to be really allowed to organise or participate in policy formulation and debate.

News break - November 13