Order comes despite reports Tasmanian mayor was dumped by the Jacqui Lambie Network over a ‘lack of commitment’

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Tasmanian mayor Steve Martin has been formally cleared to enter federal parliament as a senator, replacing Jacqui Lambie.

The high court has ordered Martin be duly elected as a senator for Tasmania to fill the vacancy left by Lambie, after she discovered she held dual citizenship.

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The order was made on Friday morning despite reports Martin had been dumped by the Jacqui Lambie Network this week over a “lack of commitment”.

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In a letter released to media on Wednesday, Lambie said Martin had been sacked after breaking the values of “mateship, respect and integrity”.

But Justice Geoffrey Nettle said Lambie should have brought forward any challenge to Martin’s election much earlier.

“There is no appearance [in court] on behalf of Ms Lambie or any evidence in support of what is said to have happened in the press,” Nettle told the court, sitting in Melbourne.

“It has not been established that Mr Martin has ceased to be a member of the Jacqui Lambie Network party.

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“It is declared that Steve Martin be duly elected as a senator for the state of Tasmania.”

The high court also ordered that the former Liberal minister Richard Colbeck replace the party’s ousted speaker Stephen Parry, who was disqualified over dual citizenship.

Martin and Colbeck are expected to be sworn into the Senate in Canberra on Monday.

Earlier this week the high court found Martin’s job as mayor of Devonport was not a block to him entering federal parliament.