INDEPENDENT Senator Jacqui Lambie has taken the first step towards forming her own political party.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) published on its website on Tuesday a notice of application from Senator Lambie to form the Jacqui Lambie Network.
"The application for registration is made by all the Parliamentary members of the party and includes a statement that the party wishes to receive election funding," the AEC's notice said.
In a statement, Senator Lambie urged people wanting to join her new party to contact her via Facebook and floated the prospect of fielding candidates for the Senate and House of Representatives.
The Jacqui Lambie Network would oppose sharia law, advocate for clear labelling for halal products and halve the foreign aid budget.
It would also support dedicated seats in Parliament for Indigenous Australians, have a "special interest" in defence families and support a financial transactions tax.
But Senator Lambie said the party's main focus would be that "members must always put their states first in all decisions they make".
Anyone who wants to formally oppose Senator Lambie's bid has until the end of April to protest.
Senator Lambie has been one of the Parliament's most outspoken members since entering the Senate in July 2014 as a Palmer United Party senator for Tasmania.
However she became the first of two Palmer United Party senators to abandon leader Clive Palmer, who sits in the House of Representatives. She became an independent and was followed only months later by former PUP colleague Glenn Lazarus.
Under electoral laws, anyone wanting to establish a political party must have a written constitution, have at least one member in Parliament or have at least 500 members on the electoral roll.
In January, Fairfax Media revealed Senator Lambie was considering launching her own party, claiming Tasmanians, defence personnel, veterans and Australians from other states "keep asking" for a Lambie brand in politics.
At the time, Glenn Kefford, a lecturer in political science at the University of Tasmania, said the notion of "Tasmania v the centre" would be a future Lambie party's greatest strength, but it would struggle to get a second senator elected at next year's election.
"There definitely seems to be something idiosyncratic about Tasmania when it comes to support for independents who play Tasmania off against the centre, people like Brian Harradine [the former balance of power senator in the Howard era]," Dr Kefford said.
The Jacqui Lambie Network policies
1) Members must always put their state first in all decisions they make.
2) JLN will always have a special interest in all matters associated with veterans, serving members of the Australian Defence Force and their families.
3) JLN will fight to establish a National Apprentice, Trade and Traineeship system incorporating both the Australian Defence Force and TAFEs.
4) JLN supports the establishment of a Financial Transactions Tax to guarantee extra government revenue for the protection of pensions and entitlements of retired Australians and defence veterans.
5) JLN is opposed to sharia law being imposed in Australia either formally or informally and will promote a policy of undivided loyalty to the Australian constitution and people.
6) JLN will support the proper regulation of halal and other food certification systems.
7) JLN supports dedicated Indigenous seats being established for Australian parliaments.
8) JLN supports conscience votes on all moral and ethical issues.
9) JLN supports a halving of the foreign aid budget in order to help boost federal government investment in higher education from 0.6 per cent to 1.0 per cent of GDP.
10) JLN supports the creation of special economic zones in regional and rural areas to help boost business profitability and job creation.
11) JLN supports the introduction of a carbon tax - only after our major trading partners introduce a similar tax on their coal-fired power stations.
12) JLN supports a monitoring and regulation system which ensures that our power and fuel prices for Australian consumers and businesses are not more expensive than our overseas competitors.
