The woman on track to become a Tasmanian senator for the Palmer United Party (PUP) is a former soldier and has already come out fighting.
Jacqui Lambie, 42, was Clive Palmer’s pick for the top of his ticket in Tasmania and she is now likely to claim the prize.
She is expected to hear in a few days whether she has won the sixth Senate spot over Liberal candidate Sally Chandler.
The big spending promises made during the sole campaign visit by the colourful Queensland businessman appear to have won over many.
About 20,0000 Tasmanians voted for the PUP.
Miss Lambie lives in Burnie, one of the state’s most economically depressed areas which has been haemorrhaging jobs in the past few years.
The former soldier failed to get preselected for the major parties in her home state, but could now share the balance of power in the new Senate.
Her day job is with the local Chamber of Commerce and Industry but she says her heart is in charity work.
She supports some form of national service for young people in Tasmania where one in four is unemployed.
The mother of two spent 10 years in the army and was showing her skills in combat, speaking to the media as counting continued.
‘Tony Abbott and I will clash’
She has dubbed the Liberal Party a boys’ club and warned she will be harder for Tony Abbott to deal with than Pauline Hanson.
“I think he’s got a very big ego and I imagine after my 10 years in the army, Tony Abbott and I will clash quite a bit,” she said.
“If he thinks Pauline Hanson was a pain in his rear end in the past, I can assure you he hasn’t come up against Jacqui Lambie yet.”
“I’ll be going in hard, that’s what I’m up for, that’s what Tasmanians want.”
But it seems she is not afraid of taking on her own leader, saying she did not support the PUP’s push to scrap the carbon tax.
Instead she wants it lowered.
Miss Lambie is not hiding her own ambition. If Clive Palmer does not win his seat in Queensland she wants his job as leader.
Her campaign advertisement declared Tasmania had been taken for granted and left off the map for too long.
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