Jacqui Lambie Thread

[nero_bolt]

Jacqui Lambie's Indigenous heritage claims surprise members of Tasmania's Aboriginal community

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-08/anger-over-jacqui-lambies-aboriginal-claims/5728622

Palmer United Party Senator Jacqui Lambie has landed herself in another dispute, this time with leaders of Tasmania's Aboriginal community.

The outspoken Senate newcomer claimed in her maiden speech last week that she was related to, if not descended from, a prominent Aboriginal resistance leader of north-eastern Tasmania.

"I acknowledge and pay my respects to Australia's Aboriginal traditional owners. I share their blood, culture and history through my mother's, Sue Lambie's, family," Senator Lambie said.

"We trace our history over six generations to celebrated Aboriginal chieftain of the Tasmania east coast, Mannalargenna."

Clyde Mansell, a community elder and acknowledged direct descendant of Mannalargenna, said it was news to him. 

"That's my family. And she's not part of it," he said.

Mr Mansell, who is also chair of the Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania, branded Senator Lambie's claims as "absolutely outrageous and scandalous".

"They're totally unfounded," he said. 

"There's no evidence that I'm aware of that would justify Jacqui Lambie standing up in the Australian Parliament and making those claims. She didn't have the right. 

"There was no reference back to the community about whom she's making this ridiculous claim.

"She had no idea what she was saying and couldn't even pronounce the name [Mannalargenna] properly."

Conflicting family trees

Senator Lambie provided some documents to Australian Story on Monday afternoon. 

A family tree indicates a lineage from one of Mannalargenna's granddaughters, Margaret (also known as Mary), who was the offspring of Mannalargenna's daughter Worretermoeteyenner and a sealer, George Briggs, who had abducted her.  

But that is where things become complicated.

This key ancestor in Senator Lambie's family tree, Margaret Briggs, is said to have married a Thomas Hite, with the rest of the family emanating from them. 

But there is no trace of a Thomas Hite in the Tasmanian archival records. 

And the Tasmanian Pioneer Index shows that Margaret Briggs died in 1839, aged 22, with no mention of a spouse or offspring, all of which is consistent with a detailed Briggs family genealogy.

Senator Lambie's family tree, however, says that Margaret Briggs married a Thomas Hite and had two children, one a daughter, Ann, who married William Aylett, and that this is the branch of the family from which the Lambies are descended.  

The documents provided to Australian Story include the findings of a 2002 Administrative Appeals Tribunal dispute relating to rights to participate in an ATSIC election. 

Claimants gave evidence that a pardoned convict, Samuel Hite, married another former convict, Mary Ann Pendrill, and that Samuel had a brother, Thomas Hite, who came to Tasmania as a sealer-sailor and took up with an Aboriginal woman. 

This pairing is said to have resulted in a daughter, Ann, born in 1837, who was taken in by Samuel Hite and his wife Mary Ann and recorded as their own. 

Ann went on to marry a William Aylett, and evidence was given that both are buried in the Jenner Cemetery at Wynyard, with Ann in the Aboriginal section and William in the white section. 

On this basis, the tribunal found that the claimants were "the descendants of Thomas Hite and an Aboriginal woman".

However, there remains the question of Ann Hite's parentage and any evidence to link her to Margaret Briggs or her grandfather Mannalargenna

And there remains mystery around Thomas Hite, with the tribunal acknowledging there was no record for him in the Tasmanian archives and there being no mention of him as a sealer in Brian Plomley's authoritative book covering the era, Friendly Mission.

Heather Sculthorpe, chief executive of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, said Senator Lambie's maiden speech was the first time she too had heard any suggestion that the senator had an Indigenous heritage.

"She's not known in the Aboriginal community and that statement was a shock to us," Ms Sculthorpe said. 

"These days if people don't know who their tribal ancestors are, they tend to claim Mannalargenna like they used to claim Truganini as their ancestor."

Mr Mansell is calling on Senator Lambie to produce evidence of her family tree so the validity of her claim can be tested. 

"She should present that evidence of her so-called Aboriginality to us because we are the relatives," he said.

More here http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-08/anger-over-jacqui-lambies-aboriginal-claims/5728622

[azureline**]

My son has his father's name, he has his father's name and he has.............. etc etc............. gets very odd. To add to that, the eldest daughter also has the same name as her mum, the other daughter has the female version of the dad's name.

I resisted the family names as long as possible, lol but refused to use the female version..

[i-need-a-martini]

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@punch*drunk wrote:

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But she is not really laying any claims on anything.  She did not say she wants to be regarded as aboriginal.  She just mentioned she has a connection.

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She's claiming to be a descendant of Mannalargenna, with no apparent proof. His known ancestors disagree. Being a family history buff I also object to people stealing my ancestors for their own and mine arent anyone special.

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But we already know that the ABC have documents through ATSIC that back up her statement.

Indigenous lineage in Tasmania is a quagmire and it is near impossible to trace your family tree as so many records were amended or deleted. That an organisation like ATSIC can give her some clues is probably about as comprehensive as it gets.

Either way, as someone else suggested, what does it matter? She isn't claiming anything. She brought it up only to show she had some empathy with the peoples she was acknowleding as part of her welcome speech.

[cherry*135]

My Mum had 8 sisters, two of them had the same first name (both lived to a great age). 

[nero_bolt]

[nero_bolt]

Palmer United Senator Jacqui Lambie whacks her “leader” on ABC radio:

You know what, it’s getting to the point I just don’t care what Clive Palmer’s position is on this at the moment - but if he had a conscience he’d stand right beside me and our troops and our veterans.

Lambie is furious Palmer won’t back her mad strategy to blackmail the government by voting against all its legislation until it increases its 1.5 per cent pay deal for defence personnel - despite the fact she’s blocking the savings that could pay for it.

Lambie gives Palmer an or-else:

Clive will have to decide whether he wants to see his party separated in the Senate, that’s all Clive Palmer needs to decide on.

Clive Palmer can no longer sit on the fence, he’s either standing by me or he’s standing near the Liberal National Party but I’m not going to stand around and watch Clive Palmer back flipping.

She warns that Palmer faces re-election in less than two years, but she’s there for another four, and not backing her could cost him:

He’ll probably pay the price for that at the next election.

Lambie also wants to use the Remembrance Day ceremonies into a blackmail weapon, urging people to turn their backs on the politicians at the ceremonies, and never mind the RSL protesting against this gross disrespect to te fallen:

The RSL has betrayed diggers for ... many years.

Lambie is coarse, unintelligent and uninformed. She also seems deeply wounded. Brooding over alleged injustices done to her - being denied compensation for what she believes were injuries from her army service that she said drove her to drugs, drink and a breakdown - she now sides passionately with those who seem like metaphors of herself.

I suspect she will never feel soldiers are paid enough and will never forgive bureaucrats - or almost anyone in power. Reason has nothing to do with it.

Clive Palmer has met someone even more irrational than himself, and far more absolutist.

It thought Palmer would embarrass Lambie out of associating with him. I didn’t dream the truth could be the other way around:

Sources told Fairfax Media in September that they overheard Mr Palmer bagging his senator as “not very bright” in a conversation with fellow PUP parliamentarian Dio Wang.

Mr Palmer has also distanced himself several times from Senator Lambie’s campaign to ban the burqa in Australia and her claim that Islamic Law “involves terrorism”.

I don’t believe Lambie told the truth on Wednesday to 2GB’s Chris Smith:

CHRIS SMITH:

So hang on, you’ve been speaking to Clive about this. He’s supportive of you recommending that people turn their back on Remembrance Day?

JACQUI LAMBIE:

Well I hope he’s in support of me yes. I hope all Palmer United Party…

CHRIS SMITH:

Have you spoken to him? Is he supportive of you or do you think he should be?

JACQUI LAMBIE:

Yes he’s supportive of me.

CHRIS SMITH:

You’ve spoken to him about this?

JACQUI LAMBIE:

Yes

CHRIS SMITH:

Is he going to put his foot forward and say I’m supportive of Jacqui Lambie telling everyone to turn their backs on Remembrance Day?

JACQUI LAMBIE:

Not quite:

Clive Palmer says he doesn’t support Jacqui Lambie’s call for soldiers to hijack Remembrance Day ceremonies and turn their backs on government MPs in protest against their meagre pay rise…

“No, but I understand the anguish that servicemen feel for the way they’ve been treated,” he responded when asked ...  if he would back his Senator’s protest.

“It’s not something I would do. Senator Lambie’s free to do what she does, she’s elected by the people of Tasmania to represent their interests,” Mr Palmer said.

http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/andrewbolt/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/lambie_threaten...

[azureline**]

I wonder how the people who voted her in feel about her? are they still supportive?

[nero_bolt]

[nero_bolt]

PUP tensions deepen as Jacqui Lambie criticises Clive Palmer's leadership and policy positions

Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie says the Palmer United Party will only avoid fracturing if leader Clive Palmer adopts more of her policy positions.

In a blistering interview broadcast on the 7.30 program, Senator Lambie said she was unable to endorse the performance of either Mr Palmer or her fellow PUP senators.

"One thing I won't do is lie to the Australian people and I'm not going to sit here and make my PUP senators or Clive Palmer look good when I'm not feeling that way about them," she said.

"I won't do that... I just don't feel like they're helping me out. So if that means I've got to go it alone under the PUP flag then so be it, I'll just run it alone."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-12/jacqui-lambie-criticises-clive-palmer-leadership-policies/5886...

[nero_bolt]

Palmer United Party: Clive Palmer expels Jacqui Lambie’s chief of staff Rob Messenger

THE Palmer United Party has expelled Jacqui Lambie’s chief of staff, former Queensland MP Rob Messenger, for “making false and misleading statements” — with Clive Palmer accusing the outspoken Tasmanian Senator of being his “mouthpiece”.

Mr Palmer lashed out both Senator Lambie and her chief of staff via a media release, following earlier remarks by the Senator in which she criticises her colleagues and indicates she would not attend partyroom meetings.

“Everything Senator Lambie says is really coming from her chief of staff. Senator Lambie is simply Rob Messenger’s mouthpiece,” Mr Palmer said.

“Last night our executive met and we have agreed to expel Rob Messenger from the party on the grounds of making false and misleading statements about our Senators.”

He also said Senator Lambie had not resigned.

“We haven’t received a resignation by mail, email or courier pigeon,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“I am aware that she has made some comments in the media and I think these threats are contrary to what Senator Lambie should really be concentrating on which is her duty to represent the Tasmanians who elected her.

“However if what she says about being unhappy with her party’s leadership is true, she should make a challenge, otherwise get on with the job of representing the people who voted for her.”

Mr Palmer labelled Ms Lambie a “drama queen” in a statement issued this morning.

“It is inexplicable why she feels she doesn’t have her colleague’s support. Criticizing me or her party colleagues is against party procedures,” he said.

http://www.news.com.au/national/palmer-united-party-clive-palmer-expels-jacqui-lambies-chief-of-staf...

[polksaladallie]

I feel a bit sorry for Lambie.  She is so inexperienced and the skerrick of power that she has has warped her thoughts.  She has in a way painted herself into a corner and doesn't know what to to to save face.

We can do with people who have strong feelings (as opposed to some in government who don't) but she needs some professional guidance to make her time in parliament smoother.