Jacqui Lambie has moved to expel Australia's newest senator Steve Martin from her party, saying the Devonport mayor hasn't shown mateship or been honest with her.
The former Mexican restaurant owner who first got into politics to save a Tasmanian hospital is taking over Jacqui Lambie's old Senate seat after weathering pressure from her to stand aside so she could reclaim her spot.
Ms Lambie released a statement on Wednesday night saying his actions hadn't been in keeping with her party after he had sacked staff and had been out of contact.
She said the management committee had moved to expel him from the party.
"The Jacqui Lambie Network prides itself on mateship, respect and integrity. I do not believe that your actions have been in keeping with these values," the statement reads.
Ms Lambie said he had given her a commitment that the Canberra staff would be retained but that he had sacked them on Wednesday.
"I don't feel you've been honest and upfront with me since my resignation," she said.
"I think we need to face facts, the relationship between yourself, the party and myself has completely broken down."
Mr Martin has said he wants a full term in the Senate - not the three-year half-terms some senators will get after the 2016 double dissolution election.
"The vacancy was a six-year term in the first place, and I'm not quite sure whether the Senate has the constitutional power to alter that which has already been allocated," he told AAP.
The High Court on Tuesday ruled Mr Martin eligible to sit in the Senate, just days after Ms Lambie told Sky News if she was in his position she would be "extremely loyal and step down".
Mr Martin owned Mexican restaurant Three Amigos and a newsagency in Devonport when he became the face of a campaign to save the local Mersey hospital in 2003.
The federal government bought the hospital to defuse the issue, and Mr Martin later became mayor of Devonport.
He's on a leave of absence as mayor, and is working with the council to avoid the $50,000 cost of replacing him in a by-election.
Mr Martin will be sworn in on Monday.
Under a Senate resolution, the top six winning candidates in each state get a six-year term, while the bottom six get three years.
However, the flurry of High Court cases over eligibility has complicated the matter and the Senate will have to re-examine the issue once all new senators are sworn in.
