The Jacqui Lambie Network (JLN) has kicked out two of its three Tasmanian MPs.
Bass MP Rebekah Pentland and Braddon MP Miriam Beswick announced on Saturday they were reconsidering their future, after becoming frustrated at senator Jacqui Lambie's intervention in state politics.
The JLN then released a statement saying the pair would no longer represent the party in the Tasmanian Parliament.
"Miriam Beswick and Rebekah Pentland have made it clear that they no longer represent the Jacqui Lambie Network's values of accountability, transparency and integrity," the statement reads.
JLN Lyons MP Andrew Jenner will remain in the party, and also released a statement saying he stands by Senator Lambie.
"I decided to run with the Jacqui Lambie Network because I believed in what Jacqui stood for, and I wholeheartedly still do," he said.
"The difference of opinions and values between Ms Beswick, Ms Pentland and I had meant our relationship had become unworkable."
The two ousted MPs have since announced they will sit in parliament as independents.
They were elected at the March 23 Tasmanian state election.
Earlier on Saturday, Premier Jeremy Rockliff said he would continue to work with all MPs for "stability and certainty" in parliament.
The JLN has a confidence and supply agreement with the Liberal government, which placed certain restrictions on its votes in parliament.
In the 35-seat lower house, the Liberals have 14 seats, there will now be one JLN, and five independents.
Other independents David O'Byrne and Kristie Johnston also signed agreements with the government, with fewer restrictions than the JLN agreement.
Andrew Jenner is the sole remaining member of Tasmania's JLN branch. (ABC News)
Ousted JLN members to stay in parliament
In a statement on Saturday, the two former JLN members confirmed they would remain in parliament as independents.
Ms Pentland said they were committed to providing the Liberal minority government with confidence and supply to ensure stability.
"No-one wants to go to another election," she said.
"We’re entering a critical budget session and the parliament needs to function predictably. Anything short of that will put business confidence at risk."
Ms Pentland dismissed claims by the JLN that the duo no longer stood for accountability, transparency and integrity.
"Integrity, above all, is the reason we are departing from JLN," she said.
"We committed to the agreement that Jacqui negotiated, and we are dedicated to honouring it. Stability is of utmost importance … Tasmania deserves that."
Ms Beswick reiterated her promise to hold the Tasmanian government to account.
"I was honoured to be elected under the JLN banner and my values haven’t changed," she said.
"But our relationship with Jacqui has unfortunately deteriorated over the past few months and it’s now best if we represent our electorates as independents."
The new independents thanked Mr Jenner for his support and said their position "when it comes to representing our communities" had not changed.
Rift widened after calls for Ferguson's resignation
Tensions within the JLN appeared to increase significantly when Senator Lambie put out a media release on August 15 calling for Tasmanian Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson to resign.
The statement took Ms Pentland and Ms Beswick by surprise – and caused concern given they each meet with government ministers regularly, and negotiate over votes in parliament.
Ms Beswick confirmed they were caught unaware by the statement.
While Ms Pentland told ABC Radio Hobart last week that it was not particularly appreciated.
Q: Would it be easier for you if she butted out of state political concerns, and concentrated on her sandpit?
Pentland: I think Jacqui is within her right to have an opinion. She's a well-respected politician.
Q: How helpful is that for you given that your world is state politics?
Pentland: Probably not very helpful.
Jacqui Lambie (second from left) earlier said party members can "disagree with someone else about how to achieve something while agreeing with them that it’s worth achieving". (ABC News)
Premier says JLN rift won't impact government rule
It has been a challenging start to life in Tasmanian state politics for the JLN.
The party faced criticism for the concessions it made in its supply and confidence agreement with Premier Jeremy Rockliff for the Liberals to govern in minority.
As independents the two MPs will need to reach agreements with the government, similar to those for Mr O'Byrne and Ms Johnston.
On Saturday, Premier Rockliff dismissed claims JLN instability would impact the Liberals' ability to govern in minority.
Labor leader Dean Winter has also targeted many of his attacks against the JLN, tying the party to Rockliff government decisions, including forcing departments to find savings ahead of the state budget.
Senator Lambie took aim at Mr Winter earlier this month, saying he was obsessed with the JLN.
"I'd remind Dean Winter of this. You had a choice to make government. You decided not to. You decided that, OK, so you live with that," she said.
"Seriously, this obsession. If you've got an issue mate, go and see a counsellor."
Dean Winter has consistently labelled the state government a Liberal-Lambie coalition. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)
Mr Winter said the government's agreement with the JLN was "unstable".
"This was a Liberal-Lambie coalition that didn't even make it to a budget," he said.
"This was a confidence and supply agreement that never got to the question of supply."
View to increase national presence
It comes after Senator Lambie announced Senate candidates for Queensland and New South Wales, and plans to announce a candidate for South Australia for the upcoming federal election.
She says her political party is about giving Australians an option outside the major political parties.
"[To] give Australia that fourth or fifth political party for the future. That's what we're looking at," she said.
Senator Lambie is also up for re-election in Tasmania.
Last week, Jacqui Lambie announced Glenn Kolomeitz as the network's lead senate candidate for NSW. (ABC News: Luke Stephenson)