HIGH-profile state election candidate Marti Zucco has quit the Palmer United Party, claiming he was threatened and intimidated by the party's outspoken senator-elect Jacqui Lambie.

In the first sign of a crack in Clive Palmer's fledgling party before the state election due in March, Mr Zucco accused Ms Lambie, right, of making menacing phone calls as the pair's working relationship deteriorated in recent months.

Mr Zucco, a Hobart City alderman, said he would now run as an independent in the seat of Denison after becoming "fed up" with the behaviour of Ms Lambie.

Former soldier Ms Lambie, who will take her place in the new Senate when it sits next July, said Mr Zucco's resignation would not hurt the PUP's state poll chances.

"Marti Zucco will not be a loss," she said.

The PUP conflict came as new state polling revealed both major parties had suffered a slip in support among Tasmanian voters.

The Liberals were down three points to 49 per cent and Labor fell six points to 22 per cent.

Support grew for the Greens (up 4 points to 19 per cent) and the PUP (5 per cent).

Mr Zucco ran as a PUP candidate at the September federal election and was touted by Mr Palmer as a possible tourism minister.

Mr Zucco said he became "very concerned" about Ms Lambie after hearing "intimidating, threatening and bullying" voice messages she left on his phone after her Senate win.

"I believe she used her position to intimidate me after she had a power base," he said.

Mr Zucco said the messages were prompted by the pair's difference of opinion on a policy he proposed during the campaign to commit $1 million to training forest workers for mining operations.

In the voice messages, Ms Lambie appeared to become increasingly frustrated with Mr Zucco.

"Hello Marti, any time you want to be big enough to congratulate me, that would be great," Ms Lambie says in the first voicemail.

"Get over whatever has happened mate. It wasn't sound ... so get over it. If you have got a problem with it, then bloody ring me." And then: "You are really starting to annoy me.

"If you are going to run [for the] state mate, you really need to have a good look at yourself.

"And if you don't want to, then don't bother running." Mr Zucco said the next message about an hour later was a direct threat on his future in the party.

"I have had a gutful of this s---, so any time you would like to call back, Marti, that would be great," the message says.

"You could be at least man enough to ring me back.

"Don't just bloody cut me off, that's not a team player, all right? OK? "I don't really give a s---.

If you want to run again that is fine.

"But I won't be backing you until you ring me again and I will be telling Clive to cut you off.

"So you make your own f---ing choice on it mate.

"I don't really care."

Mr Zucco said he had not returned the calls to Ms Lambie because he was asleep at the time.

Ms Lambie confirmed she had made the calls, which she said related to Mr Zucco's forest workers plan.

"It was a 1½-page business plan," Ms Lambie said.

"You can't do a business plan in 1½ pages.

"I rang Clive and said, 'Do not release this for the federal election'.

"Marti is not big enough to talk to me about it."

Mr Zucco said he had grown increasingly frustrated by Ms Lambie's interference at state level when there had already been a state director appointed by the party.

He claimed the party had yet to be registered in Tasmania and would not be ready if an election were called today.

But Ms Lambie said the PUP would run 25 candidates in the state election.

matthew.smith@news.com.au