TASMANIAN Liberal Senator Eric Abetz plans to reach out to Senator Glenn Lazarus this afternoon following his resignation from the Palmer United Party. The Queensland Senator quit PUP at the stroke of midnight last night after his wife was sacked from the party. In a statement on Facebook, Senator Lazarus said he had a different view of teamwork to the party's leader Clive Palmer. "I have today resigned from the Palmer United Party. This was a difficult decision," Senator Lazarus said. "I have a different view of team work. Given this, I felt it best that I resign from the party and pursue my Senate role as an independent senator." Senator Abetz said the federal government stood ready to work with the newly-independent senator. ''Glenn Lazarus has made his decisions for his own reasons and as a Government we respect that decision,'' Senator Abetz said. ''We will negotiate and interact with Senator Lazarus on the basis of his now being an independent.'' ''For myself and my colleagues it means eight representations instead of the seven we used to make to the crossbench. We are happy to do that and we are up for that,'' he said. Tasmanian Independent Senator Jacqui Lambie, who quit PUP late last year, said Senator Lazarus had a bright future. ''We’ve worked well together in the past, and I know that we’ll work well in the future,'' Senator Lambie said. Glenn’s resignation means that the average workers, the sick, our pensioners, the uni students and disabled will have even more protection in the Senate from this Liberal Government which wants to take away so much.''
Tasmanian Liberal Senator Eric Abetz plans to reach out to Senator Glenn Lazarus this afternoon following his resignation from the Palmer United Party.
TASMANIAN Liberal Senator Eric Abetz plans to reach out to Senator Glenn Lazarus this afternoon following his resignation from the Palmer United Party.
The Queensland Senator quit PUP at the stroke of midnight last night after his wife was sacked from the party.
In a statement on Facebook, Senator Lazarus said he had a different view of teamwork to the party's leader Clive Palmer.
"I have today resigned from the Palmer United Party. This was a difficult decision," Senator Lazarus said.
"I have a different view of team work. Given this, I felt it best that I resign from the party and pursue my Senate role as an independent senator."
Senator Abetz said the federal government stood ready to work with the newly-independent senator.
''Glenn Lazarus has made his decisions for his own reasons and as a Government we respect that decision,'' Senator Abetz said.
''We will negotiate and interact with Senator Lazarus on the basis of his now being an independent.''
''For myself and my colleagues it means eight representations instead of the seven we used to make to the crossbench. We are happy to do that and we are up for that,'' he said.
Tasmanian Independent Senator Jacqui Lambie, who quit PUP late last year, said Senator Lazarus had a bright future.
''We’ve worked well together in the past, and I know that we’ll work well in the future,'' Senator Lambie said.
Glenn’s resignation means that the average workers, the sick, our pensioners, the uni students and disabled will have even more protection in the Senate from this Liberal Government which wants to take away so much.''
