BOB Katter has left the door open for Senator Jacqui Lambie to join forces with his party.
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The Katter’s Australian Party leader said Senator Lambie was one of a number of minor party forces he sought to work closely with.
Senator Lambie quit the Palmer United Party yesterday morning after a bitter and public dispute with Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer.
When asked if there was any intention to lure Senator Lambie to the KAP or forming an alliance with her, Mr Katter did not rule out any move to strengthen his party.
“We seek closer working relationships with all third-party forces,” Mr Katter said. “The things that we agree on are overwhelmingly greater than those that we don’t agree on.
“Fundamentally, we don’t want Australia to be owned by foreigners. We are also not part of the sell-off, sell-out brigade.”
Bookmakers have the KAP enlisted as one of the leading parties Senator Lambie could join.
Sportingbet has the KAP as a $7 chance but the bookmaker’s spokesman, Andrew Brown, says the Democratic Labour Party and Motoring Enthusiast Party had been most popular.
“Jumping into bed with the Sex Party might be the outsider but surely has to be some chance based on previous adult-only comments from the senator,” he said.
“However, most of the early money has been evenly split between the top two in betting.”
Senator Lambie’s chief of staff, Rob Messenger, said there was no interest in joining the KAP or forming an alliance.
He said any decision about Senator Lambie’s future would be made after a meeting with her family friend, Tasmanian barrister Glynn Williams, late yesterday.
Mr Williams will be in Canberra on separate business lobbying the government on agriculture policy as president of the Tasmanian Poppy Growers group.
Senator Lambie’s potential defection from PUP could have implications for the government’s legislative agenda and rob Mr Palmer of the balance of power in the Senate.