Lambie sticks by chief of staff

Jacqui Lambie is standing by her man as the Palmer United Party tussle rolls on.

But it's not Clive Palmer she's backing. It's her chief of staff, after Mr Palmer sacked him.

The PUP leader expelled Rob Messenger from the party on Thursday, suggesting he was a disruptive influence and that everything Senator Lambie said was coming from him.

But now she's hit back, deciding none of her staff should be members of any political party.

"Mr Palmer's confirmation that Mr Messenger is no longer a member of the Palmer United Party saves him the trouble of resigning," she said in a statement.

"I want a non-political office."

Meanwhile, Mr Palmer told 2GB's Ben Fordham this afternoon that Senator Lambie was "very upset and always angry".

It follows him issuing a statement ordering her to either challenge him for the leadership, or walk the party's line.

"I’ve rung her on about eight occasions and she’s refused to return my call," Mr Palmer said.

"It’s about her rather than about the issue."

The pair traded trash-talking press releases throughout the day as the tensions between them reached boiling point.

Mr Palmer labelled Senator Lambie a "drama queen" and dared her to mount a leadership challenge.

He accused Mr Messenger, previously a Queensland state MP, of turning the Tasmanian senator into his mouthpiece.

Senator Lambie insists her chief of staff is "100 per cent loyal to me".

"Our critics will continue to attack my team personally but they can't attack the facts," she said.

Despite the argy-bargy, PUP members are playing down talk of a split in party ranks.

Senator Lambie was disappointed her internal battle with the party leader had drawn focus from her criticism of the federal government's "appalling management of the ADF pay and Xmas (sic) leave crisis".

But her latest press release suggests it is Mr Palmer's fault.

"I will not play Clive's latest political games," she said.

She's vowed to oppose outright any government legislation until the Abbott government betters a below-inflation pay deal for military personnel.

Mr Palmer, for his part, accused Senator Lambie of going rogue and failing to raise the defence pay issue in the party room.

Her threat to vote against government legislation was irresponsible and she seemed focused on her own quest for power, he said.

"I am amazed why Jacqui Lambie is being such a drama queen when the Palmer United Party unanimously supports the ADF and opposes the government's proposed pay structure," Mr Palmer said.

Bookmakers are getting in the act, offering $1.58 on Senator Lambie resigning from PUP and $2.25 on her sacking.