Who is Tammy Tyrrell, the former Jacqui Lambie senator who just defected to Labor?

Former Jacqui Lambie ally Tammy Tyrrell has defected to the Labor Party, becoming the latest party-hopping senator to be lured by Anthony Albanese’s government.

Tyrrell, the Tasmanian senator who had a falling-out with Lambie in 2024, has sat as an independent for more than two years. But on Thursday, in an unexpected move during budget week, the prime minister announced she would be admitted to the Labor Party and would serve out the rest of her term as a government member.

“I want to have a seat at the table where I can make some change,” Tyrrell said of her decision.

“I’m not going to apologise to anybody for joining Labor. It’s a good fit. I’ve supported Labor very regularly over the last four years. But I’ve also pushed back when things are important, and I will still do that, but respectfully and calmly through caucus.

“I’m very proud to be a Labor girl.”

The Labor government has increased its numbers in the Senate, from 29 to 30, but still remains short of an overall majority. Albanese will still require support of the Greens, Coalition or crossbench to pass its legislation, in order to reach a Senate majority.

Tyrrell’s move to Labor also does make slightly easier a very unlikely path where the government passes legislation by securing the support of the entire Senate crossbench. It would be a diverse coalition including David Pocock, Ralph Babet, Lambie, former Labor senator Fatima Payman, Lidia Thorpe, and four members of One Nation.

At a press conference with Tyrrell to announce her defection, Albanese praised her as “warm, genuinely funny and compassionate”.

“She’s been an advocate about cost of living pressures facing Tasmanians and she’s someone who has spent her life helping others. People across Tasmania know her as a fighter,” he said.

“She’s someone that I’ve developed a relationship with over a period of time, since her election to the Senate, as I do across the House of Representatives and Senate. She’s someone who doesn’t mince her words.

“She stands up for people, and now she will bring that advocacy into the Labor Party as a member the Labor caucus and will be able to sit and participate as a member of the government to be more effective in getting things done.”

Tyrrell joined Lambie’s party initially as a staffer but won the senate seat held by former Liberal Eric Abetz in 2022. She cited Lambie’s dissatisfaction with her as the reason for her 2024 resignation from the party, sitting as an independent since.