In short:

Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie has released details about her party's structure, and denies she has been secretive about her board.

The resignation of senator Tammy Tyrrell, who said board members told her she was not representing the party in the right way, sparked months of speculation about who was on the board.

What's next?

The Jacqui Lambie Network says it will run Senate candidates in Queensland, South Australia and NSW at the next federal election.

Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie has provided more details about her party's structure and split with senator Tammy Tyrrell as she again tries to expand into other states at the next federal election.

Questions about the party's structure and board members have intensified since Senator Tyrrell became an independent in March, saying she had been told by the Jacqui Lambie Network's (JLN) board that she "wasn't representing the network how they thought I should".

Senator Lambie revealed some members of the board on Thursday morning, telling ABC Radio Hobart that she was president of the board.

She later added that she became president about two weeks ago.

Also on the board were former state election candidate Chris Hannan, as the party's secretary, and former RSL New South Wales chief executive Glenn Kolomeitz, as treasurer, as well as Ian Basckin, she said.

"We have contributing people that come in and out on a Monday night, depending on what we're talking about," she said.

"It's a really loose situation. There are no votes taken or anything like that, it's just whoever can help is on that board right now."

The JLN has previously repeatedly refused to reveal who was on the board.

But Senator Lambie denied their identities had been kept secret and said she did not know "what the big hoo-ha is".

"No, no and you can get it on the [Australian Electoral Commission website], they're all written there, the treasurer and the secretary, and they're also on our website," she said.

 

"None of these people are paid, they're volunteers … you know, that gives us enough to have a meeting on a Monday night but usually you'll find others in the meeting as well."

Internet archives show the board members were not listed on the party's website as recently as late March.

The extra information about the party came as new Tasmanian JLN MP Miriam Beswick told the ABC in a Stateline interview yesterday that it was entirely reasonable that the identities of the board members were kept secret.

"That's private … they're private people," she said.

"They're not advising us on which way to vote, they're not part of what we decide as your politicians and your elected members, so it's not really relevant."

National expansion may have fuelled Tyrrell split, Lambie says

When Senator Tyrrell quit the party in March, she said she had not been kicked out of the party but that Senator Lambie had suggested she go her own way.

"Jacqui has indicated she is not happy with the way I have been representing the Jacqui Lambie Network," Senator Tyrrell said at the time.

But two weeks later, she said she made the decision to quit after being told by the board she "wasn't representing the network how they thought I should".

Senator Lambie said she did not know anything about the board asking Senator Tyrrell to leave, but said her idea to take the party national may have led to the split.

"I did say early in the second half of last year, to those people that were involved in the Monday night sessions is that I am now going to go national, so if anybody wants to withdraw from the network that's been involved on a Monday night or been helping us on the sidelines," she said.

"And that goes for Tammy as well, that [anyone that] did not want to go bigger and did not want to do that, then please think about that and leave. I don't expect you to stay.

"My position has changed, I am going to go national. And it's only fair to give those people an option to leave if they want to leave."

After picking up three seats in Tasmania's parliament at this year's state election, Senator Lambie has announced a Queensland Senate candidate for the upcoming federal election, and says she will announce Senate candidates for NSW and South Australia in coming weeks.

She said the expansion attempt was because the other major parties had "sold their souls".

"They're influenced by outside donors. They're influenced by lobbyists … we are not influenced," she said.

"I just want to see people that are making the right decisions without influence. And right now, I don't see that anywhere else, apart from the Network."

It is not the first time Senator Lambie has tried to win seats in other states.

She fielded 10 Senate candidates, including herself, at the 2016 federal election, including three in New South Wales, and two in Queensland and Victoria.

However, Senator Lambie was the only one to be elected, with Senator Tyrrell joining the ranks at the 2022 federal election.

Give new MPs time, Lambie urges

Senator Lambie said rival political parties and the public should give her three Tasmanian MPs — Andrew Jenner, Ms Beswick and Rebekah Pentland — "a fair go", and ease up on the criticism until they were settled.

The new MPs have faced criticism over a deal they signed with the Liberal Tasmanian government, and from the state Labor party for not having clear stances on some issues debated in parliament.

"It's not easy when you first walk into parliament especially when you have no experience. You've got to find staff, you've got to get settled in and I can tell you now, my guys, some of them don't even have a permanent office at the moment," she said.

"So I just say, give them time, let them settle in and I remind people out there … the first couple of years that I was in parliament, and I've always admitted this and I always mean it, I was a bloody wrecking ball.

"And I've turned that around and I fight like hell for you every day, that is what I do and you'll find these guys will do the same thing. Just give them a little bit of breathing space and let them find their way."