Coalition Hits Record Low 27% Primary Vote as Lambie Blames Jacinta Price for Leadership Crisis
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The Liberal-National Coalition has registered its lowest ever primary vote at 27 percent, with crossbench Senator Jacqui Lambie blaming Senator Jacinta Price for undermining Opposition Leader Sussan Ley's leadership during a critical week.
Speaking on Sky News First Edition Monday, Lambie said Price's controversial comments last week severely damaged the Coalition's polling prospects and made it "very, very difficult" for Ley to establish herself as leader.
"Jacinta could have come out within 24 hours, apologised for what she had said, re-said what she meant to say, and that was it," Lambie said. "It makes it very, very difficult for a brand-new leader like Sussan Ley, who's trying to get up and moving, trying to bring her people together and reunite them, when you have that going on."
The Tasmanian senator directly attributed blame to Price for the Coalition's polling collapse, saying the Indigenous Affairs Minister should examine her role in the party's electoral woes.
"I hope Jacinta has a good look at herself because she can take some blame in that poll," Lambie said. "Seriously, last week, that is all we heard about all week from the Liberal Party."
Coalition-Nationals Partnership Under Fire
Lambie warned the Coalition risks remaining in opposition for "the next three or four terms" unless it reconsiders its partnership with the Nationals, arguing the junior coalition partner is dragging the Liberals away from winnable urban seats.
"If you want to win those city seats back, you need to look at that deal you've got going with the Nationals," she said. "I just think the Nationals are dragging them from wherever they need to go."
The senator expressed concern about the Coalition's rightward drift, suggesting further movement in that direction would doom their electoral prospects.
"If they go any further to the right than what they went before the last election, I don't see how that's possibly going to give them the numbers that they need for in the future," Lambie said.
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One Nation Benefiting from Liberal Decline
Lambie identified a clear voter migration from the Liberal Party to One Nation, attributing the shift to perceptions that the Liberals have become "Labor light."
"Yeah, I think last week really hurt," she said when asked about the drift to Pauline Hanson's party. "You know, Sussan Ley's trying to find some ground. She's trying to get moving. She's trying to do the right thing. She has this. That's all she dealt with for a whole week."
The senator emphasized the importance of having an effective opposition, expressing concern about the Coalition's current state.
"We need an opposition, Pete. We need an opposition. We need one that's up there holding the government to account," Lambie said. "Right now, they just look like they're completely in disarray. And that's just not what the country needs."
Defence Spending Criticism
Lambie criticized Defence Minister Richard Marles for failing to specify Australia's defence spending as a percentage of GDP following the government's $12 billion naval facility announcement in Western Australia.
"One, I think, once again, he's got no idea," Lambie said when asked about Marles' evasive responses during an earlier Sky News interview.
The senator acknowledged the spending increase would boost defence investment over time but highlighted persistent problems with defence procurement processes.
"My problem is you've still got the problem that you've had for a long time. And it's about the defence works itself, the waste that goes in that procurement," she said. "Mate, we have a real problem there. Now's a great time to look into that."
Defence Procurement Failures
Lambie delivered scathing criticism of Australia's defence acquisition strategy, arguing taxpayer money is being wasted on outdated equipment while more effective alternatives exist overseas.
"Right now, this is how stupid they are. I mean, they're making these great drones in Ukraine. They're all over the top of us. We've ordered these big, heavy, bloody things that are useless and out of date," she said. "This is our procurement process. Something is terribly, terribly wrong."
The senator called for a comprehensive review of defence contracting arrangements with major international suppliers.
"These primes, the primes like Boeing, Raytheon, the big six or seven of them up there, they've become too comfortable," Lambie said. "And they're too used to getting taxpayers' money and they're not spending it wisely and that is a problem. We're not getting the best of the best."
AUKUS Submarine Concerns
Lambie expressed skepticism about the AUKUS submarine program, questioning whether Australia would receive any operational vessels within three decades.
"I'm yet to see a bubble come out of that goddamn submarine. I mean that's another waste that we're looking at that won't be lucky if we've got one in 30 years time," she said.
The senator highlighted capacity constraints affecting the United States' ability to fulfill AUKUS commitments.
"We already know that America cannot keep up with their own demands down there. They're already nearly a submarine behind a year. That's where we're at and these are the deals that we're doing," Lambie said.
She criticized the government's shifting defence partnerships, referencing abandoned French and Japanese submarine programs alongside current arrangements with the United Kingdom.
"The French submarines, the Japanese ones, we've got something going with the UK. We've got a lot of waste," she said.
Public Accountability
Lambie emphasized public support for defence spending remains contingent on effective use of taxpayer funds rather than wasteful procurement practices.
"People don't mind spending money on defence for the nation. What they care about is that it's being wasted and there's too much waste," she said.
The senator has consistently criticized defence procurement processes throughout her parliamentary tenure, calling for systematic reform of contracting arrangements with major international defence suppliers.
Political Implications
The polling results represent a significant challenge for Ley's leadership, coming amid internal Coalition tensions and external pressure from minor parties. Lambie's direct attribution of blame to Price highlights ongoing factional divisions within the opposition ranks.
The senator's criticism reflects broader concerns about the Coalition's electoral strategy and positioning, particularly regarding suburban voter appeal in key marginal seats.
Monday's interview highlighted persistent challenges facing the opposition as it attempts to rebuild following recent electoral defeats and leadership changes.
The polling data suggests continued voter dissatisfaction with the Coalition's direction, with alternative parties like One Nation capturing disaffected Liberal supporters seeking more conservative policy positions.
Lambie's intervention represents an unusual external critique of internal Coalition dynamics, with the crossbench senator explicitly calling for personnel accountability and strategic repositioning.
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