In a major sign of instability and fracture between the federal and state branches of the Jacqui Lambie Network, the party's three new state members have sent a legal ultimatum to Senator Jacqui Lambie demanding that she agree to stop interfering in the party's state affairs.
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Bass MHA Rebekah Pentland, Lyons MHA Andrew Jenner and Braddon MHA Miriam Beswick in early June requested Senator Lambie sign the formal legal agreement to 'butt out' of the state branch's affairs, according to two party sources.
The agreement was sent to her on June 2, and the members requested that Ms Lambie sign it within a week.
The Tasmanian senator had still not signed it as of July, according to one party source.
It was unclear what the consequences would be if Senator Lambie refused to sign the agreement.
The three JLN members have been contacted for comment.
The ultimatum was sent because the three members became dissatisfied over Senator Lambie's input into the party's state policies following the March election, one party source has claimed.
Members were being directed "which way to vote" on individual bills, the source claimed.
The members "kicked back massively" against these directions.
The other reason for the fracture was the appointment of two parliamentary staffers seen as being too close to Senator Lambie, the source claimed.
The source said anything said to the staffers was known by Senator Lambie "within half an hour".
Other sources have claimed that these two staff members, who resigned on the eve of the first parliamentary sitting, left because they were dissatisfied with a proposed senior staffer appointment.
The agreement was designed to put a stop to Senator Lambie's influence, it was claimed.
The state members would "run state", Senator Lambie would "run federal", with the two branches under the single JLN banner, the source said.
"But she cannot, we will not let her start directing as she was before."
Regardless of whether the agreement is signed, it might now be moot. One party source claimed that Senator Lambie has not recently interfered in state party matters.
Upheaval in the JLN is likely to set off alarm bells within the Rockliff government.
Following the state election, the JLN members agreed to a deal to provide confidence and budget supply to the minority Liberal government, and it is reliant on the three members plus another independent to pass legislation in the House of Assembly.
Mr Jenner has also admitted in an interview published in The Australian on Tuesday that he is dissatisfied with the deal he signed with the Liberals, and would seek to renegotiate it after a year.
In the same interview, all three members also refused to commit to staying with the JLN for the full four-year parliamentary term, although Mr Jenner said it was "unlikely" he would leave the party.