Jacqui Lambie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jacqui Lambie
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Lambie in 2017.
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| President of the Jacqui Lambie Network | |
| Assumed office July 2024 |
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| Leader of the Jacqui Lambie Network | |
| Assumed office 14 May 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Deputy Leader of Palmer United in the Senate | |
| In office 1 July – 19 November 2014 |
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| Leader | Glenn Lazarus |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Senator for Tasmania | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2019 |
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| In office 1 July 2014 – 14 November 2017 |
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| Succeeded by | Steve Martin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jacquiline Louise Lambie
26 February 1971 Ulverstone, Tasmania, Australia |
| Citizenship |
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| Political party | Jacqui Lambie Network (since 2015) |
| Other political affiliations |
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| Children | 2 |
| Residences | Burnie, Tasmania |
| Education | Devonport High School |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Australia |
| Branch/service | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1989–2000 |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Unit |
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Jacquiline Louise Lambie (born 26 February 1971) is an Australian politician. She is the leader and founder of the Jacqui Lambie Network (JLN) political party. She has been a Senator for Tasmania since 2019. Before that, she was also a Senator from 2014 to 2017.
Jacqui Lambie grew up in public housing in Devonport. She later served as a corporal in the Australian Army. She joined the Palmer United Party (PUP), led by Australian billionaire Clive Palmer. She was elected to the Senate in the 2013 federal election. Her term started in July 2014.
She became well-known for her strong campaigns and passionate speeches in Parliament. She focused on issues like foreign affairs, support for veterans, and youth unemployment. In November 2014, she left the Palmer United Party. She then served in the Senate as an independent politician.
In May 2015, she started her own political party, the Jacqui Lambie Network. She was re-elected in the 2016 federal election. In November 2017, it was found that she also held British citizenship. This meant she had to resign from the Senate. She was replaced by Steve Martin.
Jacqui Lambie was re-elected to the Senate in the 2019 election. She became a Senator for the second time on 1 July 2019.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jacqui Lambie is a Palawa woman. She was born in Ulverstone, a town in north-western Tasmania. Her parents separated when she was 13 years old.
She was raised in a public housing area in Devonport. She attended Devonport High School. Jacqui Lambie was one of only four members of the 46th Parliament of Australia who did not finish high school.
Military Service and Advocacy
Serving in the Australian Army (1989–2000)
Jacqui Lambie joined the Australian Army in 1989. She completed her basic training while she was pregnant with her first child. She did not know she was pregnant until four months later.
After her training, she joined the Royal Australian Corps of Transport in 1990. She worked there for five years. Then, she moved to the Royal Australian Corps of Military Police. She worked there for another five years and became a Corporal.
In July 1997, during an army exercise, Lambie hurt her back. This injury caused long-term problems for her spine. She was medically discharged from the Army in 2000 because of her back pain.
Advocacy for Veterans
After leaving the Army, Jacqui Lambie sought support from the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA). She became a strong supporter for veterans. She has worked with groups like the Returned and Services League of Australia. She also helped with fundraising for the Burnie Chamber of Commerce, the Country Women's Association, and Rotary.
She had a long dispute with the DVA about her compensation. Eventually, the DVA accepted her claim for compensation. This experience made her a passionate advocate for other veterans.
Journey into Politics
Starting Her Political Path (2008–2012)
Jacqui Lambie's involvement in politics began in 2008. She started working for Labor senator Nick Sherry in Tasmania.
In November 2011, she joined the Liberal Party of Australia. She wanted to become a candidate for the Division of Braddon. She later left the Liberal Party. She said she joined to learn about politics.
In 2012, Lambie sold her house to help pay for her campaign as an independent candidate. She then joined the new Palmer United Party. This party was started by billionaire Clive Palmer. She said she joined because she did not have enough money for advertising like bigger parties.
Serving as a Senator (2013–2017; 2019–present)
In the 2013 federal election, Jacqui Lambie won a Senate seat for Tasmania. She was a candidate for the Palmer United Party. She received 6.58% of the first votes.
On 24 November 2014, Lambie left the Palmer United Party. She announced she would continue in the Senate as an independent. This happened after several disagreements with the party leader, Clive Palmer.
In April 2015, she applied to register her own political party. It was called the Jacqui Lambie Network. In May 2015, the party was officially registered. Jacqui Lambie became its leader. She was re-elected to the Senate in the 2016 Australian federal election under her new party.
On 14 November 2017, Lambie announced she would resign from the Senate. This was because she held both British and Australian nationality. The Australian Constitution does not allow this for politicians. She said she wanted to return to federal politics in the future.
In 2018, the High Court decided that her running mate, Steve Martin, would replace her. Lambie expected Martin to resign so she could return. When he refused, she removed him from her party.
Jacqui Lambie was re-elected to the Senate in the 2019 election. She became a Senator again on 1 July 2019. During a debate about a government bill, she threatened to vote for it. She later voted against the bill when her suggested changes were not accepted.
Key Political Ideas
Supporting Higher Education
In 2020, Jacqui Lambie disagreed with a government bill about university reforms. She believed it would harm students from low-income families. She said she would not vote for a bill that would tell "poor kids" they could not achieve their dreams because they could not afford it.
Rules for Political Donations
In February 2020, Lambie introduced a bill to the Australian Senate. This bill aimed to make rules for political donations stricter. She suggested lowering the amount of money that does not need to be reported. She also proposed new rules for how political campaigns report their spending.
Boosting Australian Manufacturing
In early 2020, Lambie started a campaign to support Australian manufacturing. She was worried about Australia relying too much on products from other countries. She believes this reliance can threaten Australia's economy. The COVID-19 pandemic made these concerns even stronger.
Concerns About Foreign Influence
Jacqui Lambie has spoken about her concerns regarding foreign influence in Australia. She believes that people in Parliament need to be aware of attempts by other countries to affect Australia's economy and democracy.
Personal Life
Jacqui Lambie is single and has two children. Her first son, Brentyn, was born in 1989. She had her second son, Dylan, in 1992. She lives in the city of Burnie, on the North Coast of Tasmania.
In 2014, Lambie described herself as "Catholic" and "religious."
Aboriginal Heritage
In her first speech to Parliament in 2014, Jacqui Lambie said she has a connection to Aboriginal Australians. She stated that through her mother's family, she shares "blood, culture, and history" with them. She identifies as a descendant of Mannalargenna, an Aboriginal Tasmanian leader. The Parliamentary Library of Australia includes Jacqui Lambie on its list of Indigenous parliamentarians.
